Imaginary Isabella (cancelled)
by Infernaldawn1
Summary: What if Isabella didn't exist as a person, but as an imaginary friend from Phineas' past? How would The Gang be affected? After years, Isabella returns and this time, Phineas is determined to never let her go. As the summer progresses and Isabella's existence becomes more and more dubious, Phineas embarks on a quest to make his dream girl reality (Reboot in progress)
1. Prologue: Awake Dear Heart

**Author's Note:**

Hello everyone and welcome to my very first story! This may or may not be a series, depending on how I feel and how well it is received. I like to think this is a unique idea and although it is an AU, it'll follow the main timeline of the show, just with one major difference, which should be obvious from the title and summary.

Another thing is that I will be placing the age of Phineas and the gang at 9 years old, which seems a bit younger than most would put it (usually around 10-12). Although it is never explicitly stated in the series what age the gang is, Phineas and Ferb apply to college 10 years after the main show in Act Your Age. Average entry age is around 18 and one would assume that Phineas and his friends would've skipped a few years of high school given their summer activities. So the lowest probable age for them at the time of the show would be around 9. That's just my theory though.

It is also established that Isabella has been coming over to Phineas' house for eleven years up to Act Your Age (not counting the last 2 years up to the episode). That means she met him at around 6-7 years old.

Phineas and Ferb don't belong to me. They belong to Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh.

* * *

6-year-old Phineas was sitting in his room on his bed, absent from the family dinner, having dismissed himself early. He was eager to get back to his journal where lay endless drawings of inventions and projects yet come.

"Whatcha doin?"

Phineas jumped into the air as a girl appeared right next to him. His eyes widened when he took in the transparent girl sitting on the bed next to him. He began shivering slightly in fear.

"A-are you a ghost?"

The girl looked startled, "You know what a ghost is?"

"You don't?"

"No I…" the girl paused, "Nevermind. Sorry for startling you. And no I'm not a ghost."

Phineas had lost some of his early fright and was no looking at her curiously, "Who are you?"

"My name is Isabella," she responded with a giggle.

Phineas smiled and pointed at his chest.

"I'm Phineas!"

Isabella chuckled at his eager expression.

"I can't wait to tell Mom and Dad all about you!"

Her smile faltered, "I don't think they'll be able to see me Phineas. You're the only one who's been able to so far."

"Then you're my special friend. Only mine." Phineas didn't appear too fazed.

"Special friend." Isabella's face grew radiant, "I like that."

* * *

7-year-old Phineas and Isabella were standing in the garage, looking over the array of tools and materials in the room. Mom and dad had taken Ferb to a dentist appointment and Isabella had invited Phineas to explore.

Currently, he was scratching his head, "How does this bring my projects to life?"

"You just have to believe in what you imagined Phineas," Isabella said excitedly, "Carpe Diem."

Phineas looked at her strangely, "car-pie-dee-em?"

Isabella rolled her eyes, "Carpe diem, it means seize the day. You should try it!"

Phineas brightened and made his way to the closest pile of tools. He tried to lift the box, but almost dropped it due to it's weight. He let out a groan as Isabella laughed at him.

"You're not very helpful are you?"

"Normally I would," Isabella shrugged as she held out her ghostly hands, "but you know…"

Phineas sighed as he gently returned the box to it's position on the shelf, "Maybe another time. In a couple of years."

* * *

8-year-old Phineas and Isabella sat together under the tree. Well Phineas sat while Isabella just floated in a sitting position. To any other observer, it would appear that he was talking to thin air; but to Phineas, he saw his best friend sitting beside him, smiling at the expression on his face.

"That's funny," Phineas chuckled, "I can just imagine the thrill."

Isabella smiled at him, her hands folded in her lap and her pony tails tucked behind both ears.

"Yeah, rollercoasters are a fun concept aren't they," she responded shyly, "I've always wanted to ride one."

"Well, mom and dad are planning a trip later this afternoon, so why can't you come with us."

Isabella's face faltered and a flicker of sadness crossed her face, "I won't be able to enjoy anything with you Phineas. I'm not real remember?"

"You are real," Phineas insisted while pretending to place his hands over her own. This elicited a faint shade of red to appear on her cheeks, "You have feelings and thoughts. You taught me to enjoy summer to it's fullest. You were family to me as much as mom and dad, or even Ferb."

Isabella was blushing fully now, even if young Phineas didn't understand it. "That's sweet Phineas, but one day, you're going to get older and I can't be around forever to orientate your life."

"Now that's a depressing thought," Phineas chuckled slightly, "I can't imagine life without you."

Isabella smiled once more, but it was a sad smile now. "Ferb is coming back soon. I should go. Carpe Diem Phineas."

Phineas waved slightly as Isabella faded away. Ferb walked through the gate and found Phineas with his hand up mid-wave.

"Isabella?" he asked simply.

Phineas smiled at his brother. Ferb was one of the few people who believed in his friendship with the imaginary girl.

"She was looking forward to going with us."

Ferb raised an eyebrow and Phineas sighed sadly.

"I know that's not possible, but sometimes I really wish it were."

Ferb patted him on the shoulder softly.

* * *

9-year-old Phineas was sitting under the tree thinking next to his brother Ferb, pondering how to kickstart their summer vacation.

"…I for one, am starting to get bored, and boredom is something of up with which I will not put! The first thing they're gonna ask us when we get back to school is 'what did we do over the summer?'. I mean, no school for three months. Our life should be a roller coaster! And I mean a good roller coaster…"

Phineas trailed off as Ferb looked at his brother knowingly. Dozens of memories of sleepy mornings, lively afternoons, and quiet nights with a girl dashed through his mind. Memories of a girl who gave him a purpose, a motivation, and most importantly gave him love.

 _Carpe Diem_ , Phineas mused.

"That's it! I know what we're going to do today!"

A glowing smile crossed Phineas' face.

"We're going to build a rollercoaster"

* * *

And cut! This story is going to run parallel to the show, with a few exceptions. Eventually, there will be a few standalone chapters, specials, and such. There will probably be a finale as well depending on how long I want the story to be.

Less emphasis will be placed on the Perry/Doofenshrmitz or Candace subplot since the focus will be Phineas and Isabella. I won't be doing all the episodes either, maybe just 1 in 3.


	2. Rollercoaster

**Author's Note:**

So I've decided on a majority of the episodes that I want to feature here, plus the specials and the movie. A few chapters will be brand new ones as well, unique to Phineas and Isabella's new storyline. The Milo Murphy's Law chapter crossover will come at some point as well. They'll be around 40-50 chapters with a 4 part finale.

Also, some dialogue might be different, mainly due to the absence of Isabella, but also because I don't like copying events word for word. Some scenes/dialogue will be the same, but I wanted to make the chapters unique.

* * *

Phineas and Ferb were in the process of constructing the grand entrance when the gate swung open and two people walked in.

"Hey, dinnerbell! What's going on here?" Buford yelled, "you're wakin up the whole neighborhood with this racket!"

"Yes, the noise is quite distinct," Baljeet said less loudly.

"Oh Buford, Baljeet! You're just in time. We're building a rollercoaster!"

"Rollercoaster?" Baljeet scoffed, "In your back yard?"

"Yeah, you want to help?" Phineas asked.

"Why not, I got nothing on my busy social schedule," Buford crossed his arms.

"Wait!" Baljeet cried, "it's already past noon! Even if it were possible, there's no way to create an impossible rollercoaster in an afternoon!"

"If you want to do other activities nerd, then I can arrange that," Buford responded while raising a fist.

"You know, rollercoaster construction suddenly became a lot more intriguing."

* * *

 _Suity-up, booty-up, diddly-deedly-da_

 _Suity-up, booty-up, diddly-deedly-da_

 _Suity-up, booty-up, diddly-deedly-da_

 _Do-da be-de-da, da-da, da-da-da_

Phineas frowned as he turned the blueprints sideways and tried to find what was missing. Buford and Baljeet were working on the main support structure, bickering the whole time. Phineas just ignored them. Ferb had started on the first cart.

"Oh shoot, sorry gang I forgot the steel welder. I'll be right back."

As Phineas headed back towards the garage, he heard Baljeet faintly from behind him.

"Gang? What are we, thugs?"

Phineas smiled as he entered the garage, a certain memory of a raven haired girl flashing through his mind. Quickly, he made his way to the toolbox kept on the back shelf.

"Whatcha doin?"

Phineas jumped nearly a foot in the air, but kept a firm hand on the toolbox.

Isabella chuckled from her position in the center of the room.

"You look like you've seen a ghost or something!"

Phineas looked over his old friend with wide eyes. She had ditched the pigtails in favour of loose hair with a bow tied on top. Her signature pink dress was still there though. He was in such a state that he just blurted the first thing that came to his mind.

"What did you do with your hair?"

Isabella giggled at Phineas' blunt question, "It's good to see you too Phineas."

Phineas closed his mouth and tried to come up with a better response, "I'm happy to see you."

The girl responded with a hearty smile, "You've grown a lot."

"So have you," Phineas responded amicably, "Should I even ask about the logistics of how that's possible."

"Hey! I can't be a kid forever," she responded while flipping a stray hair over her shoulder, "We all have to grow up sometime."

Phineas paused as a nagging question jumped to the front of his mind.

"Where have you been for the past year or so?"

"Oh I've been checking out the city and the neighbors around here," she jerked her thump to the house across the street. "They seem pretty nice, especially Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro."

"Garcia-Shapiro? That's my mom's friend," Phineas smiled, "Next time I see her, I'll make sure to say hi."

Isabella gave a grateful smile, but then her eyes grew wide when she spotted the massive structure forming in Phineas' backyard.

"Oh my god," Isabella put her hands over her mouth, "You actually did it!"

"Well, it was meant for you," Phineas rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "but I wasn't even sure if you were going to show up."

"Of course I would," Isabella responded in disbelief, "did you think I would miss your first project?"

"The thought never crossed my mind."

* * *

An hour later, Phineas and Ferb were standing before an awed group of kids that now included Buford and Bajeet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages! May I present to you a spectacle most of the morning in the making: The Coolest...Coaster...Ever!"

Phineas paused to let the moment sink in.

"Who wants to go first?"

Buford forced his way to the front of the group, "I call dibs on first ride. I helped make it!"

There came a small cough from the left and Buford glared down at the boy beside him.

"And the nerd too."

Phineas gave a swift glance at Ferb and Isabella. Ferb gave a thumbs up and Isabella simply shrugged.

"Alright, I guess there's just 8 empty seats left so form an orderly line everyone!"

* * *

After a bit of tussling to form the line, the kids were all lined up in the carts, ready for the ride.

"To fasten, insert the tab into the metal buckle. To release, just pull back on the…"

Phineas paused for a moment when he caught sight of Isabella flying beside the cart as it began the ascent. This unfortunately caused to him lose concentration for a moment and the seatbelt slipped from his grasp."

"Oops. Well, you get the picture. Well, that's about it, enjoy the ride."

Soon, the carts crested the top of the first hill and the joyous ride began.

* * *

Phineas was pretty sure that Ferb had given him a few weird looks during the ride, but he couldn't help but wave at the floating girl beside him.

Isabella trailed along through the whole experience and occasionally, Phineas would admire her hair and dress flowing through the wind (though he wasn't sure how) as that constant smile remained on her face.

Eventually, they managed to make it back to the front yard in one piece, after a few short trips to Paris, New York, and outer space. Phineas was amazed that his childhood friend had even managed to keep up with them.

"That was awesome," Baljeet cried as he gingerly climbed out of the smoking cart.

Buford shrugged, "Eh. Feel free to let us know the next time you pull a crazy stunt like this."

Ferb gave the thumbs up and the rest of the kids quickly left the front yard.

Phineas took a quick survey of all the tools lying around in the front yard and Isabella waiting for him by the tree.

"I'll clean this up Ferb, you can head inside."

Ferb tilted his head, as if curious, but walked back to the house. Soon, Isabella and Phineas were all alone.

"So you can fly now?" Phineas asked wonderingly.

"I learned a lot of things in the past year," Isabella said with a blush.

"Well, I say that time was well spent," Phineas said with a laugh.

Isabella's face suddenly turned serious.

"I know I wasn't there for you Phineas, and I'm sorry."

Phineas opened his mouth to say something, but Isabella held her hand up.

"No wait let me finish, I need to get this out," she said quickly, "I promise that this summer, I'm not leaving you. I don't know why I'm still here, or why your conscience hasn't written me away yet as just an imaginary friend, but I exist for you. Anything you need, I'm all yours."

She smiled.

And Phineas was smiling right back.

* * *

I wanted to portray the start of Phineas and Ferb's full friendship with Buford and Baljeet here because it is never established when they became friends and to give it a bit more depth. They'll be in this story fairly consistently.

Next up is Flop Starz


	3. Flop Starz

**Author's Note:**

Does everyone like the new cover? I ripped it straight from 'The Phineas and Ferb Effect'

I think I made a mistake. The 'Fast and the Phineas' is the next episode chronologically, so I guess I should have done that first. Nevertheless, 'The Fast and the Phineas' is coming up next.

* * *

Isabella smiled as she floated straight through the gate and towards Phineas, who was lounging in the yard.

"Whatcha doin?"

Phineas looked down from the mass of papers spread across the grass and grinned.

"Hey Isabella, we're planning on becoming one hit wonders today."

Isabella grinned, "Aren't you a little young to be one hit wonders?"

Phineas paused "No."

"Works for me," Isabella responded with a shrug.

"Hey, where's Perry?"

* * *

Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella were sitting under the tree later that morning as Phineas pondered the lyrics.

"Something's missing," Phineas muttered, "but I don't know what."

Isabella peeked over his shoulder at the pages, "You're missing back up. It's just you singing and Ferb has just one line."

"That's a brilliant idea!" Phineas chuckled nervously when Ferb gave him an odd look, "that I just thought of…"

Ferb gave Phineas an intense stare, that caused him to shift uncomfortably. Even Isabella looked nervous for a second.

"What was the idea?" he finally asked.

"What?"

"The idea you just had?" Ferb asked patiently.

"Oh, I was thinking we could use a few back up singers," Phineas brightened, attempting to defuse the suspicious glance that Ferb was leveling at him.

Ferb just shrugged and went back to his silent disposition.

Phineas gave a mental sigh of relief and Isabella simply let it out loud.

* * *

Phineas managed to convince Ferb to go find a few people who would be willing to host their band while he looked for potential back up singers. Isabella, of course, had tagged along.

"There are a few girls that I can think of that would make a great addition to the chorus with their voice," Isabella said while rubbing her chin thoughtfully, "but they're a bit spread out."

"Well hopefully we can find them," Phineas replied whist looking at a map of the Tristate Area, "I mean I've been living here for years and I still haven't met everyone."

"Well, this is a good place to start."

Isabella then gestured at a strange log cabin that was situated between two buildings and looked a bit out of place.

"First girl is in here. I heard she's one of those fireside girls. You could really use their help. They have all these patches."

Phineas let out a hmm and knocked on the door.

After a moment, a short girl with a orange beret and light brown hair answered the door.

"Who are you?" she demanded with authority.

Phineas held up his hands placatingly, "Woah, my name's Phineas and I was hoping to talk to…Adyson Sweetwater?"

"That's me," the girl crossed her arms. Behind her, Phineas could see 2 others, a blonde and a brunette girl, hoisting water balloons ready to throw.

"I was gathering together a band and was wondering if you would be interested in joining."

"Band?"

"Yeah, I've seen a bit of the Fireside Jamboree, if I'm correct in assuming you're fireside girls, and I think you'd make a great addition."

"You're awfully forward aren't you," Adyson remarked.

"And proud of it."

She stared at him oddly, not sure what to make of the strange boy. Isabella quickly whispered in his ear, even though no one could hear her anyway.

"Offer her money."

Phineas paused in thought, "We'll be giving some of the profits to you of course."

Indecision raced across Adyson's face, before it finally hardened into resolve.

"Fine, but I'm bringing my second in command with me."

Phineas shrugged. "Fair enough."

* * *

A minutes later, Phineas, Adyson, and the girl that she had introduced as simply Milly, were riding down town towards their last stop. Phineas lagged behind to let the duo stray ahead before he asked Isabella his question.

"I appreciate your finds, but isn't Adyson a bit err…"

"Rude?" Isabella shook her head, "She's just looking out for her troop. Don't take it personally. They've been really struggling to maintain the cabin under the cost and it's hard to sustain a group of just 3 people. Collecting patches is hard work without a big team."

Phineas just hummed in reply.

* * *

 _Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated!_

Phineas stared up at the imposing building with wonder.

"Wow, it even has its own jingle. I wish we had one," Adyson grumbled.

"I'm sure you'll come up with something," Phineas assured before pushing open the door to the building.

"I think you'll like this girl," Isabella said with a twinkle, "she like to help invent things just like you I think. You'll get along just swell."

Phineas quickly hid the grin that threated to cross his face. He didn't want to give the fireside girls the wrong idea after all.

In what seemed like no time, the group arrived at the top floor and emerged into a nice room full of purple.

"Looks ugly," Adyson remarked.

Isabella had to agree. Purple wasn't her colour and the whole place has giving her a bad vibe. Phineas didn't seem to notice as he quickly called out to the room.

"Hello, is anyone home?"

There was a loud crash and the sound of light laughter. Phineas and the girls looked at each other, confused. They refocused their attention though when an older man and a bespectacled girl emerged from a separate room. Both were covered in oil.

"Hey, what are you Fireside girls doing in here?" the man spoke with a heavily accent, "Katie already delivered the cupcakes."

The bespectacled girl was hardly paying attention though. Instead, she was staring at Adyson, who stared right back.

"Chief?" she finally asked.

Adyson's eyes grew fierce, "Gretchen?"

Before Gretchen could respond, Adyson suddenly grew frustrated and cut her off.

"What are you doing here with this lunatic?" she yelled. "You left us for this?"

Gretchen turned away, not looking Adyson in the eye. "It wasn't the life for me," she mumbled.

"That's baloney and you know it Gretchen. You were the best out of all of us!" she cried, "You left us without a leader."

"I was never the leader," Gretchen replied softly, "you were. I never meant to take up that mantle."

Adyson deflated slightly. Phineas and the man watched the confrontation with bated breath.

"I'm going to wait in the lobby," Adyson spat and walked out the door.

Phineas just watched with a confused look, "What was that all about?"

Gretchen just shook her head, "I don't want to talk about it. Is there something you needed from me?"

Phineas paused and looked up at the man, who hadn't said a word through the whole exchange. He also took a glance at Isabella, who was clearly feeling uncomfortable with the place, and made a quick decision.

"Umm, can we discuss this outside?" Phineas finally asked.

The man waved his hand dismissively, "Sure, you can do what you want with her. I'll finish the giant robot building myself."

As Phineas, Isabella, and Gretchen were walking towards the elevator, Phineas turned toward the former fireside girl curiously.

"Giant robot building? Is he serious, and can I stop by later?"

Gretchen shook her head, "I know about your fondness of building Phineas. Every kid in Danville does, but this is something you should stay away from. You don't want to be around that man."

"Then why do you put up with it?" Phineas asked in confusion.

"I don't want to talk about it," Gretchen turned away in sadness, "You can't know everything Phineas."

They fell silent after that.

* * *

After a tense bike, the team arrived at the building. Ferb silently invited them inside and introduced them to the array of instruments.

"So what part do we play in this biz?" Adyson demanded, while trying to avoid eye contact with Gretchen.

"You get to be the back up chorus," Phineas replied with cheer, "Here's your lines."

Phineas handed the trio a sheet and they took it silently.

"And what's the name of this song?"

"Gitchi-gitchi-goo," Phineas said excitedly.

Adyson let out a snort and was about to comment, but Milly elbowed her.

"Whatever floats your boat."

Phineas sighed. The fireside girl was really putting him on edge, but a reassuring glance from Isabella quelled some of his fears.

* * *

One hour later, it was showtime and the group was set to perform in center stage.

"Ready?" Isabella whispered in Phineas' ear.

"As always," Phineas whispered back before taking his place at the center. Ferb took his place on the right with the girls on the left. Milly was in the center to separate Gretchen and Adyson.

Finally, the curtains rose and Phineas was greeted with a pleasant surprise.

"Phineas?!" Candace cried in disbelief.

"Candace? You're the hundredth contestant? How serendipitous. This'll be like a brother and sister thing! Now I'm assuming you've heard our hit single. I mean, who hasn't, right? It's a big hit. So here's the words; don't worry if you get lost. The lyrics are meaningless anyway. I'll point when it's your turn."

Phineas guided Candace to her place and began the song.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Ferbettes! I'm Phineas and this is Ferb, and we're gonna sing a song!"

 _Bow, Chicka, Bow-Wow!_

 _That's what my baby says!_  
 _Mow-mow-mow!_  
 _And my heart starts pumping!_

 _Chicka-Chicka, Choo Wah!_  
 _Never gonna stop!_

 _Gitchee Gitchee Goo means that I love you!_

Phineas gave a glance at Isabella, who was floating above the crowd. She gave a huge blush and turned away.

 _That's what my baby says!_  
 _Mow-mow-mow!_  
 _And my heart starts pumping!_  
 _Chicka-Chicka, Choo Wah!_  
 _Never gonna stop!_  
 _Gitchee Gitchee Goo means that I love you!_  
 _I said a Bow, Chika, Bow-Wow!_ "Candace!"

Phineas paused to allow Candace a time to sing, but she just stared at him blankly.

"Wait a minute! What are you doing?"

"I'm cuing you?" Phineas was confused.

"How'd you get a hit single?!" she demanded.

"Well, it wasn't easy," Phineas elaborated, "It took most of the morning and half a dozen phone calls. But if you're willing to put in the work-"

"That's it! I'm gonna tell Mom!" Candace shouted in exasperation

"Okay...tell her what?" Phineas had a look of utter confusion on his face.

 **"** Ooh, I'm just gonna tell."

She stormed off the stage, leaving everyone staring at her. Then Isabella spoke up.

"Wow, she really does the diva tantrum justice, and she's not even a star yet."

Phineas let out a sigh of relief. One problem had been dealt with.

He glanced at Adyson, who had taken the moment to send a glare in Gretchen's direction.

"Now, if only we could deal with the other," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

One uninterrupted performance and one diva tantrum later, Phineas and the group were on the elevator down to the ground floor when they heard a loud bang. Isabella flew ahead while the rest of the group rushed to the entrance. They reached the front and stared in disbelief at the giant robot as it wandered about without a pilot.

"Wow, you weren't kidding huh?" Phineas remarked, "Does this happen every day?"

Adyson slapped her forehead and Gretchen sighed, "Yes, yes it does."

They watched as the robot quickly lost balance and crashed to the ground.

"Well I hope that didn't hurt anyone. I can't imagine what would happen if a kid were unfortunate enough to get caught by something like that."

"Well, actually…" Isabella began.

Phineas shook his head.

"Nevermind, I don't want to think about it," he turned to the girls. "How would you like to join us tomorrow?"

Gretchen looked stricken, "Are you sure? I have to get back to work on…"

"Forget him," Phineas waved his hand dismissively, "He's only holding you back. Imagine what you could accomplish with us!"

"Yeah, it's a great idea!" Isabella pretended to talk into Gretchen's ear.

Ferb gave a thumbs up in support.

Gretchen thought it over for a moment, before shrugging.

"It's okay I guess…"

Phineas turned to Adyson, who looked torn on the whole deal.

"How about you Adyson? We can help you get some new patches!"

"Yeah, it'll be just like old times," Gretchen piped up.

Adyson fought an internal war with herself for a moment, before a smile finally crossed her face. The possibility of working with her closest friend again was alluring and the patches were just a bonus.

"I'm in." she responded with confidence.

Isabella let out a cheer and Phineas couldn't contain his chuckle.

"Don't forget about me," Milly waved her hand rapidly, "I'm in too."

Then, there was a soft chatter at Phineas' feet and everyone looked down.

"Oh there you are Perry," they said together.

* * *

Holly and Ginger will appear at some point as well, but Adyson and Gretchen will be the prominent characters of the fireside girls.

Does this feel too fast? It feels too fast-paced to me as well. I'm just busy with moving away right now. Hopefully, the pace will improve afterward.

Edit: I fixed up a few errors and formatted the lyrics how I wanted them to appear. For some reason, the symbols didn't carry over while uploading the document.


	4. The Fast and the Phineas

**Author's Note:**

Sorry for the long delay, but it took me a while to hash out a full storyline for Buford, Baljeet, Doofenshmirtz, and Perry. Trust me, it was quite tricky, but I think it'll work out. Doofenshmirtz and Phineas' plots will become more intertwined than they were on the show.

* * *

Gretchen wiped the sweat from her brow as she continued work on the machine. The deflate-inator was proving to be quite the challenge, in spite of Doofenshmirtz's highly detailed plans. She could hear the man taking a snooze on the side

"Hey, glasses girl! Are you working up early again?"

Gretchen groaned and turned to face the intruder.

"Buford! It's been a week since I've last seen you. Where have ya been? And how did you even get up here?"

"I've been checking out the neighbors. The boys down the street are pretty rad, what with all the things they do." He then crossed his arms while avoiding the first question, "But I must ask again, what are you doing here so early."

"Unlike some other people, I need to work for myself," Gretchen grumbled, "I'm sure you would understand."

Buford straightened in shock and Gretchen knew she had crossed a line. She held her breath in fear as Buford took deep breaths to calm himself.

"If I help get this thing fixed, can I get a quarter of the profits?"

Gretchen let out a sigh of relief and turned back towards the machine. "You can get half of the profits if you can fix this quickly. I promised Phineas and Ferb that I would be there to help them enter the Swamp Oil 500."

Buford eyed the machine and cracked his knuckles.

"Alright dweeb, my friend here needs to get places so you better sort yourself out before I beat you into working properly."

Gretchen stared at him as he raised a fist.

"Uh Buford, I don't think intimidation is going to…"

There was a slight spark and a sputter, then suddenly the machine came to life. Gretchen stared in amazement as the deflate inator came to life. Silently, she handed Buford half a wad of cash.

"I never knew intimidation could be so powerful," she muttered.

Buford chuckled and took her by the arm, "It's a useful skill I discovered after Baljeet decided to ditch me for a day. Now, let's get back to dinnerbell before the pharmacist wakes up. I hated working for him and I think the feeling's mutual."

* * *

Back at Phineas and Ferb's house, Isabella was sitting in the room with Phineas.

"Man, it's been forever since I've come in here," she said excitedly.

Phineas chuckled, "Yeah, it's been years. I still remember how we first met in this very room."

"For sure," came the excited response, "I still have a perfect photographic memory of your face when I appeared."

Phineas groaned at Isabella's laughter, "Knock it off! I was 6."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Phineas quickly schooled his expression into a passive one.

"Come in!"

Ferb entered and gave Phineas a look. Then, he tapped on his watch.

"Oh, sorry. Lost track of time there," Phineas rubbed the back of his neck quickly jumped off the bed and followed Ferb to the door.

As they were walking down the hallway, Phineas spoke.

"You know it's your room as well right? You don't need to knock."

Ferb looked at Phineas and tilted his head.

"I didn't want to interrupt your conversation."

Ferb moved on without another word, leaving Phineas speechless in the hallway.

* * *

A while later, Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, and the fireside girls were gathered at the race track.

"This here is Holly," Adyson jerked a thumb towards an African-American girl who gave the group a friendly wave, "Her uncle lives in Africa as a tour guide. He fixes a lot of vehicles there and Holly's picked up a few things. So, she can give a short run down on basic repair and car detail."

"Ooh, I can do calculations to find the most optimal layout for the springs and the tires on this track," Baljeet already had his calculator out.

"It's the tread and the suspension."

Baljeet raised his eyebrows at Holly.

"I'm sorry?"

"The springs are the suspension and the tread is the pattern on the tires," Holly crossed her arms smugly. It felt good to know more than the brain of the group.

Phineas smiled, "Wow, you're good!"

"Sorry we're late!"

Everyone looked up in surprise as Gretchen and Buford came down on a rope.

"Hey, nice entrance," Phineas complimented.

Adyson was less happy, "Where have you been? And where did you even come from?"

"We just had to finish something up," Buford pointed at the purple blimp floating above them, "We got some good money out of it."

Adyson glanced at the blimp and scowled.

 _Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated_!

* * *

After a few short intros and some preparation and training, the team was ready to roll. Isabella stopped Phineas moments before he entered the vehicle.

"Be safe out there Phineas."

Phineas smiled, "It'll be fine. I have you and Ferb watching out for me."

"Sorry I can't come along though," she said regretfully, "I'd just be a distraction."

"It's a welcome one."

Isabella's face grew red, "Well then, I'll see you at the podium!"

"First place," Phineas promised.

* * *

About half way through the race, things were looking good to Isabella. Phineas had pulled ahead by almost half a lap and the pit stop team operated harmoniously. That's when things started to go wrong though. Isabella and Ferb watched in shock as the cars began to pile up.

"Come on Ferb," Isabella muttered from beside him, "Please tell me all that time on Mario Kart wasn't wasted."

To Isabella's relief, Ferb was skillfully able to avoid all of the chaos and ensuing crashes. Pretty soon, he was rocking a tune.

Go Phineas! Go Go Phineas!

Go Phineas! Go Go Phineas!

Isabella was cheering and singing right along side them.

* * *

Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella were walking home with a massive trophy over Phineas' shoulder. Baljeet, Buford, and the girls had all dispersed, but not before Phineas promised to make a base and add their names to the trophy.

"Nice work bro, we brought it home," Phineas paused when they reached the house, "How about you put this away and I'll go get mom?"

Ferb gave a thumbs up and took the trophy across the street. Phineas smiled because it gave him some more time alone with Isabella.

"Maybe you could meet Miss Garcia Shapiro now," Isabella said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, maybe we could talk a bit," Phineas arrived at the slightly open door and allowed himself in.

"Mom?" Phineas called, "We're back!"

He paused when he didn't get a response.

"Maybe she's in the kitchen?" Isabella suggested.

Phineas nodded and made his way into the kitchen. There, he found a Hispanic woman who was resting on the table with a sowing machine next to her. Phineas cleared his throat and the woman looked up.

"Ah, are you Phineas Flynn?" she asked.

Phineas nodded, "Yes, yes I am. Is mom here?"

"Oh you just missed her. We finished our game minutes ago. She's already headed back across the street."

Phineas was about to thank her when something caught his eye. He dashed over to the table and stared down at the unfinished garment in disbelief, "What is this?"

"Ah, it's a dress that I designed in my childhood," Mrs Garcia-Shapiro held up the _very_ familiar pink dress with a grin, "I was hoping that my daughter would wear it one day, but my husband wasn't ready for that."

She paused, lost in a flashback. Phineas quickly realized that he was being too intrusive again and let out a quick farewell before darting out the door. Isabella was waiting for him outside.

"Hey Phineas, did you find her?"

Phineas didn't listen, but instead fixed his gaze into a determined expression.

"How well do you know Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro?"

Isabella looked startled, "I don't know. I used her spare bedroom in the last couple days, but I haven't invaded her privacy…"

Phineas was frantic now, "Do you feel a connection with her? Or anything? Like as a daughter?"

"What!?" Isabella cried, "Where is this even coming from Phineas? I have no one except you!"

Phineas sighed, "I saw a dress on the table that Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro was working on. It looked just like yours!"

"Phineas…" Isabella spoke softly, "This appearance was borrowed from her design. I just liked it a lot. There's nothing more to it."

"I refuse to believe that," Phineas replied firmly, "I don't believe that you are nothing more than just an apparition. There must be a reason why you met me or why I can see you."

"But I'm not re…"

"Don't give me that line!" Phineas interrupted, "You are my childhood! I can't let that go. I can't give up on you yet. There is something special here between us."

Phineas turned away as tears sprang into both their eyes.

"I just have to find out what it is…" he whispered.

Isabella hesitated for a moment, then pretended to hold her arms around him. Phineas could almost feel a warm presence in her spiritual embrace.

"I have faith in you Phineas," she whispered back. "But, whatever is happening between us is special, and I want to keep that. Please don't try to change it."

Phineas shook his head and walked back to his house. Isabella watched him go with silence. Only when she heard the door closing shut did she turn and fly away.

* * *

That last scene was very hard to write! Wow! It's very important to pay attention to the dialogue between Phineas and Isabella, because that will give you the clues to solve half of Isabella's mystery. I'm very careful with phrasing, so if a line sounds important or strange, it's usually a piece of foreshadowing or hint towards the plot.

The incident that Buford is referencing here is from 'Bully Bromance Breakup' which, in this AU, takes place before the show and before Buford and Baljeet meet Phineas and Ferb.

Next up is S'winter! It's not really an important episode for the story, but it's kind of a classic episode from season 1, so I felt obligated to include it.


	5. S'Winter

**Author's Note:**

This is going to be a short one because nothing important to the storyline happens in this chapter, except for one thing. However, I'm going to jump into Isabella's point of view a bit. There's also a fun little reference I put in here.

* * *

Isabella was bored. Being an incorporeal spirit meant that there wasn't much for her to do other than explore. However, she had already been to practically every place on the planet and so far, nothing seemed to top being around Phineas and his creations. Thankfully, the boy was used to her presence and was able to contain his excitement around her. However, it did leave some concerns about him in her mind.

Phineas was still a young boy, but Isabella knew that he would carry his aspirations and childish mannerisms far into adulthood. Growing up is a part of life, or so Isabella assumed. She had never had to contend with the problem, but her adventures around the world had certainly given her some much needed perspective on her place in the world. A forced maturity if you would.

And as Isabella looked forward during her one year expedition, she also looked back at the boy she held so close to her heart. She knew that she couldn't stay with him forever. She wasn't even sure of how she was still around. She didn't even know why she came back to that yard a few short days ago. Early into the infancy of her existence, she was always worried that every fibre of her imaginary being came from him. That if he would forget her, she would cease to exist. But to her amazement, and slight concern, he never did.

Isabella loved Phineas. She loved the assurance that his presence brought her. He was the rock of her shaky existence, however she couldn't help but wonder whether this relationship was holding both of them back.

* * *

These thoughts still plagued Isabella's mind as she entered Phineas' backyard. She entered with the usual 'Whatcha doin'

Phineas couldn't respond with Ferb right next to him, but she saw a small smile cross his face. Beside him sat a machine which was slowly emanating a constant wave of cold. Isabella couldn't feel it, but the shimmer of frost that lined the backyard gave her a basic idea of what was going on.

"Hey guys, what's on the menu for today?" Buford asked as he, Baljeet, the fireside girls, Holly, and Gretchen strolled into the backyard.

"We're making S'winter!"

"S'winter?" came the general response.

"It's a unique logic-defying amalgam of Winter and Summer," Ferb responded. Isabella was impressed by his articulation and a few of the girls seemed to be as well.

"Why have snow in the winter when it's too cold to enjoy it?" Phineas added.

* * *

In moments, the backyard was converted into a massive ski hill complete with all the wintertime sports. Phineas was sitting with Ferb and Isabella in a chalet made completely out of ice. Phineas was unusually quiet, as Isabella noticed. Thus, Ferb decided to take the lead in conversation.

"Have you been seeing Isabella again?" he asked abruptly.

Isabella gaped at the boy. She had underestimated he perception once again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Phineas gulp.

"Err…"

"Isabella," Ferb prompted, "the girl from your childhood?"

Phineas groaned, "Yes, yes I have. She's been showing up more frequently now."

Isabella held her breath as she waited for Ferb's response.

"You mean, you've been visualizing her again?"

Phineas shook his head, "No, she feels more real this time. She's been telling me about all these people who I've never met before and all these things I've never experienced. There's more to us this time around."

Ferb stared at him, "This isn't healthy for you Phineas. You keep speaking of this imaginary girl, who I've never seen by the way, and now you claim that she has returned."

"She's real," Phineas insisted, "I can feel it."

"Really?" Ferb sounded more intrigued now, "What exactly do you feel?"

Phineas paused to think for a bit. "She makes me really happy whenever I see her. It feels like there are butterflies in my stomach whenever she says whatcha doin, I told you about her catchphrase right? It just feels right to me."

Ferb stayed silent for a long time, and it felt like a different kind of silence to Isabella. It was obvious that he was deep in thought. Then, he turned towards the door.

"I need to think more about this later, after some snow boarding."

Phineas jumped up, eager to get off the sensitive subject. Isabella also let out a sigh of relief.

"Wait for me!"

* * *

Phineas quietly conversed with Isabella and she agreed to fly with them, but under the agreement that Phineas would give no indication of her presence. Isabella didn't want Ferb to question Phineas' sanity any further. The brothers climbed on the board silently and began their ride down the hill. Isabella watched in amusement as they picked up an unexpected passenger.

"Hey Candace! Glad you could join us! This is gonna be great!"

Isabella laughed as Candace was roped into the action as the trio shot down the slopes and down the mountain before eventually crossing a bobsled track and launching off a ski jump. Isabella frowned as Candace continued to scream. It was really annoying her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Phineas' sled collided with a balloon and were shot up into the air.

"Uh Ferb," Phineas looked around, "Have you seen Candace?"

Ferb shrugged, but soon they heard the very distinct sound of Candace's scream. They looked under the board to find Candace clinging on for dear life.

"Oh, hey! Here she is! You rock, Candace! I didn't even know that was possible!"

Soon, they found themselves on the podium, holding up the skateboard with Candace on top.

Candace rolled off the board immediately feeling slightly nauseous. She darted over to Jeremy, not giving the brothers any more attention.

"Well, that was something," Phineas said excitedly, "but how are we supposed to clean this up."

"Oh no you don't," Candace yelled, "This is going no where. I'm showing mom!"

She stormed off, leaving the backyard full of people unsure of what to do. Suddenly, the fans shut down and the mountain began to melt.

Phineas watched the ice chalet melt with sadness, but then shrugged, "Oh well, at least clean up was easy."

"Who want's hot chocolate?" Linda called from the doorway.

Buford immediately jumped up in excitement and darted for the doorway past a stunned Candace.

"But-bu-bu-bu…"

"Close your mouth honey."

* * *

Ferb had silently left the group and headed to his room to think about what Phineas had told him. Isabella, Phineas' imaginary friend, was apparently back. Ferb couldn't figure out how though. As children, he had supported Phineas' fake friendship, even if he had never met the girl. Apparently, it had jumpstarted Phineas' great ideas and brought him and Phineas closer together. Ferb couldn't complain about that.

He scratched his head as he thought about the strange conversation he had heard Between Phineas and an unseen speaker earlier.

 _There is something special between us!_

Phineas had confessed to Ferb earlier as well, and Ferb being an avid part-time psyche studier, had recognized how deep this 'connection' ran between Phineas and the girl. Something else was going on here and Ferb knew that it was far more than just a simple, overly vivid imagination.

He shook his head and promised to himself to think on it more tomorrow, after a long rest. In no time, the sun had set and Phineas quietly settled into bed across from his brother without a word.

* * *

Next up is Ready for the Betty's! You bet there's going to be some important things happening there! It'll be the first defining event of this AU.


	6. Ready for the Bettys

**Author's Note:**

Here we go guys! The first game changing episode of the series. Up to this point, episodes have mostly run as normal. This is the first one to be significantly affected by this new alternate universe.

Sorry for the delay though. I just went through a massive move to live by myself and I haven't even got everything unpacked yet (university life is fun).

* * *

Phineas sat under his famous tree, deep in thought. Ferb lay next to him, staring at his side. Floating above them was Isabella, who was watching the duo anxiously.

"Phineas, I know that I've mostly kept quiet on this over the years, but you're 9 years old now."

Phineas noted that Ferb was talking a lot more than usual now.

"Are you sure it's healthy for you to still have an imaginary friend at this age?"

"She hasn't done any harm for me yet," Phineas insisted, "but if something comes up, I'll make sure you're the first to know."

Ferb sat there quietly for a moment while everyone digested what he had said. Then he spoke.

"I believe you," he decided.

"What?" Phineas and Isabella asked in surprise.

"Phineas, I've known you your whole life and you're a horrible liar," he elaborated, "I can tell that this is more than just a passing phase for you."

He took a deep breath.

"Just be careful okay. This isn't a normal thing for kids this age and I don't know where it will lead you."

"Well," Phineas mused, "We are pretty abnormal kids aren't we?"

Ferb smiled, "Yes, yes we are."

There was a soft click as the gate opened and Baljeet walked in.

"Whatcha doin?"

Isabella glared at Baljeet while Phineas shuddered a bit. Ferb just looked amused by Phineas' reaction.

"Not feeling the sparks for him too?"

"Shut it Ferb," Phineas threw a bunch of grass in Ferb's face playfully before answering Baljeet's question, "We're actually not sure yet. Where's your bully?"

"He went off with Gretchen again," Baljeet muttered sadly, "He's been spending a lot of time with her recently."

Phineas' eyebrows shot up, "Really? Is there something going on between them?"

"I don't know," Baljeet wailed, "I know nothing about this kind of stuff!"

Phineas shrugged and leaned against the tree, "Well, we can't just, Woah!"

He fell over slightly as an invisible panel in the tree gave way, revealing a secret entrance. The group watched in awe as the passageway lit up.

"Wow! What is this?" Phineas asked in wonder, "Ferb did you make this?"

Ferb shook his head.

"Huh, weird. I guess we better investigate."

"Are you serious? It looks dangerous and we have no idea what's down there!" Baljeet protested.

"Dude, we just found a tunnel with a secret entrance," Phineas replied, "I for one would like to know what's under our house."

Without another word, Phineas jumped down the hole followed closely by Ferb and Isabella. Baljeet groaned.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is going to end badly?"

* * *

"Wow. What in the world?" Isabella stared at the massive array of gadgets around them, "A secret underground headquarters with a particle disruptor and, oh, a hovercraft."

Phineas' mind was reeling. How long had this been here?

Suddenly the screen in front of them flicked to life. The kids stared as an old man with a white mustache appeared.

"Hello, Agent P. Hang on. It's here somewhere on this clipboard from which I have yet to look up," said the old man.

"Who's agent P?" Phineas whispered. The others shrugged.

"Ah, yes, here it is. Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Huh, what a surprise. Building some sort of destructo ray. End of the world. Yada, yada, yada. I'm faxing you the coordinates."

"I think we should get out of here." Baljeet whispered.

"Actually, I would like to know who Agent P is," Phineas responded with his normal voice while snatching up the printed paper, "Maybe this'll give us a clue."

The old man's eyes widened at the sound of their voice and finally looked up from his papers.

"Great googly moogly!"

He slowly sunk out of view.

"Well, whatever this is mission is, it sounds serious," Phineas scratched his head, "so we should probably check it out. Let's get the hoverjet."

 _Phineas and Ferb, Phineas and Ferb_

The quartet dashed to the aforementioned vehicle and hopped in. They blasted off just as Agent P arrived in the elevator.

"Ah there you are Agent P, we have a serious security breach…"

* * *

Gretchen and Buford were hard at work with Doofenshmirtz's latest inator. The former fireside girl wiped sweat from her brow as Buford stared absently out the cavern wall. Doofenshmirtz had gone out to get lemonade and he was free to hang around.

"You know, this could be a lot faster if you help." Gretchen grumbled.

"I'm not getting paid," Buford responded simply, "and I don't like working for this guy. I only helped you that one time. What's your excuse?"

"I can't tell you," Gretchen retorted.

Buford shrugged, "I can't work with nothing."

"Well you don't have to," Gretchen put the finishing touches on the machine and collected the money laying on the table, "Now all we have to do is get out of here before…"

Suddenly, the sound of a jet engine echoed through the cave. Gretchen and Buford stared as three very familiar people arrived in a hoverjet.

"Well, I wasn't expecting them," Gretchen murmured.

* * *

"Buford?!" Baljeet cried, "What are you doing here?"

"Hanging with Gretchen," Buford crossed his arms, "What are YOU doing here? This place is supposed to be top secret!"

"Well, we got a notice about some man creating a destructo ray…" Phineas trailed off when he caught sight of the machine behind them.

"Oh my god…" Isabella gasped.

"Hold it, did you make this?!" Baljeet demanded, "That looks like a destructo ray to me!"

"Wait!" Gretchen protested weakly, "It's not…"

The group was so far into their argument that they didn't notice a second hoverjet arriving at the ledge.

"That man we met earlier," Phineas said thoughtfully, "Was that guy Doofenshmirtz? The same guy who is apparently making machines of destruction? And you're working for him?"

"NO! I'm here because…"

"Hey, Gretchen are you raiding my muffin stash again?"

Gretchen and Buford winced when Doofenshmirtz entered the room, stopping at the sight of all the unknown people in the room.

"Hey, what are you kids doing here? And Buford too!" Doofenshmirtz gasped dramatically.

"Are you responsible for this destructo ray sir?" Baljeet asked tersely.

"It's a destructinator!" Doofenshmirtz protested, "It's MY evil creation."

"I guess that confirms it," Phineas said with a scowl, "We better destroy it then."

"Oh no you don't," Doofenshmirtz yelled as he made a run at Phineas.

"Phineas, look out!" Isabella cried.

Phineas flinched, but Ferb simply got in the way and decked the man with a single punch. No one hurt his brother on his watch.

"This has to go," Phineas said to Gretchen, "Sorry for destroying your handy work, but…"

Gretchen shook her head, "It's okay. This machine always has a self destruct button…"

Phineas brightened and hit the big red button, "Why didn't you just say so?"

"That is usually green!" Gretchen finished with a yell.

The group watched in horror as the inator fired and hit a nearby bridge, turning it to dust. Then, as if fate were taunting them, a pink bus rolled into view.

"HA!" Doofenshmirtz cried from his position on the ground.

"That's Candace's bus, we have to save her!" Phineas exclaimed. He quickly dashed to the hovercraft, "Come on team!"

Baljeet glared at Buford, "Are you going to help us fix your mess?"

"I didn't help make this thing," Buford argued, but walked toward the hoverjet anyway.

The two continued bickering and Gretchen glanced at Doofenshmirtz.

"Does this mean I get my money back?" he asked weakly.

Gretchen scoffed and snatched up the bills before joining the others on the hoverjet.

* * *

"Buford, you're squishing me!" Baljeet shifted uncomfortably.

"Deal with it nerd."

Isabella rolled her eyes, "Boys…"

"Focus guys," Phineas chided while steering the hoverjet towards the fallen bridge, "The bus hasn't stopped and they're in plain view of the drop, so their brakes must be out. We have about two minutes before the bus hits the gorge. Buford and Baljeet, I need a couple large vines. As many as you can get."

"On it!" they saluted and Baljeet hastily exited the vehicle for a breather, followed closely by Buford.

"Ferb and Gretchen, can you get us 2 large, sturdy rocks?"

Ferb gave a thumbs up and Gretchen nodded before they both got off.

"What do we do?" Isabella asked.

"We try to stop the bus if plan B isn't ready in time."

* * *

Candace screamed as the bus careened towards impending doom. The Betty's were on the verge of a meltdown and Stacy was clinging to her for dear life.

"Please let me live! Please let me live! Please let me live!"

There was a loud whooshing sound as Phineas' hoverjet came to a stop behind the bus, but Candace hardly noticed.

* * *

Phineas gritted his teeth as he lined the vehicle up with the bus's back window and yanked the wheel hard to the right. The hoverjet flipped sideways and Phineas held on for dear life as he activated the magnet ray. Instantly, a ray shot out and grabbed onto the bus. The vehicle slowed slightly, but it wasn't enough.

"Can this thing give any more power?" Isabella shouted.

Phineas shook his head, "Ferb, I hope you're ready!"

* * *

Ferb and Gretchen rolled the boulders into position while balancing precariously on the top. Baljeet and Buford tossed the lassoed vines to them and they quickly looped them around the gigantic rocks.

"Here they come!" Baljeet announced.

Baljeet and Buford ran out of the way as Ferb and Gretchen rolled their boulders sideways, pulling the vines taut as the rogue bus came into view. They jumped off as the bus slammed head first into the makeshift barrier. The rocks buckled under the force and crashed along the sides of the road.

"Phineas, pulled up!" Isabella screamed.

Phineas jerked the wheel upward as the boulders crashed together in the spot they had just vacated. Phineas watched in relief as the rocks dug into the road and the bus came to a stop.

"Mission complete," he shouted and everyone cheered.

They didn't even notice Agent P looking down at them with a proud smile. He tilted his hat before flying out of sight once more.

* * *

"That was interesting," Baljeet said hesitantly, "but I think I'll sit out on the next mission with you guys.

"That's alright," Phineas responded. "We'll drop you off at your house."

They were about to turn the vehicle around, but then a strange enveloped them.

"That's odd," Phineas remarked, "We seem to be stuck in some kind of tractor beam."

Suddenly, the vehicle was flipped and everyone fell into the pool below them. Phineas was the first to emerge just as Mrs. Garcia Shapiro entered the yard.

"Oh my! Phineas and friends, how did you get into mi piscina?"

"That my friend is classified information," Phineas responded appropriately.

"Oh," Vivian was unsure of how to respond to that, "You poor things must be so cold. Come in for some toallas."

"Yeah, Buford loves tacos!" Buford dashed inside.

"Does he know that toallas are towels and not tacos?" Ferb asked.

Everyone shugged.

"Isabella, are you coming?" Phineas asked when everyone else had cleared the yard.

Isabella was staring up at the sky with a puzzled expression on her face, but she quickly shook her head.

"Sure Phineas. I'll be right over."

Above them, Agent P smiled before turning around and flying away. His secret was safe, or so he thought.

Because unbeknownst to him, someone had seen him.

Someone that he didn't even know existed.

* * *

Later that night, when Phineas was deep in sleep, a soft voice woke him.

"Phineas…"

Phineas groaned.

"Phineas?"

He turned away.

"Phineas, I think know who Agent P is."

"What?!" Phineas bolted upright and Isabella waved her hands to calm him.

"Shh! We don't want to wake Ferb!"

Phineas looked at his brother briefly, before turning his full attention to her.

"What did you say?" he asked wonderingly.

Isabella took a deep breath before responding with a firm confidence that wasn't there before.

"I know who Agent P is."

* * *

Next chapter is going to be an entirely original episode titled "Ferb's Faith" and will be the next part of this particular storyline. Like this chapter, it'll mark another major turning point for the plot.


	7. Ferb's Faith

**Author's Note:**

These next 2 chapters are going to be entirely dedicated to forwarding the plot of this story. If you want to find hints on the true storyline, these two episodes are the best place to find them.

* * *

"Well that's great," Phineas replied excitedly, "Who is it?"

Isabella shifted uncomfortably, "I don't know if you'll believe me."

"Isabella, I've seen a unicorns, martians, and even a magic old timey bathing suit that lives in the Himalayas! I think I can believe you on anything."

"Hmm, okay well…wait, a magic old timey bathing suit that lives in the Himalayas?" Iasbella echoed with disbelief.

"Yeah, he's actually real. Ferb and I helped to save him from a crazy businessman last year."

"Okay…" she trailed off. Phineas could tell that she was stalling. "Well, I saw that Agent P was…Perry."

"Perry!" Phineas exclaimed in surprise, but Isabella quickly shushed him again. "But he's just a platypus. They don't do much."

Isabella sighed and ran a hand through her hair out of nervousness, "I know what I saw Phineas. It was him. I don't actually know your platypus that well, but there's only one in the whole Tristate Area so…"

Phineas was about to argue again, but instead paused in thought. He trusted Isabella greatly. She had never been wrong before, so why would he question her now?

Now that he thought about it, the gadgets they had encountered in the lair were abnormally small for a human, but would fit perfectly for a platypus. His intelligent mind could see that. Plus, there was also the matter of how Perry seemed to disappear every day. It seemed like a logical explanation, but he just couldn't picture his pet running around and fighting evil.

"Maybe I should ask that scientist," he mused.

"NO!" Isabella shouted, "He's dangerous! Gretchen and Adyson told us to stay away from him! Buford doesn't like him either."

"Buford doesn't like many people."

"The point is," Isabella continued, "Doofenshmirtz is not a good person to talk about this with. You could ask Gretchen though, because she might know something."

"No, I don't want to involve anyone who doesn't already know, except for maybe Ferb," Phineas looked away in thought, "I'm still not 100% sure on this, so I'll keep an eye on Perry and tell Ferb about this. I can't fully believe it until I see it fully by myself."

Isabella shrugged, "I guess that's fair. I'm still surprised that you take my word into serious consideration in the first place. Afterall, I don't really exist."

"How could I forget?" Phineas responded bitterly.

* * *

Later that morning, Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella were gathered in the backyard. Buford had been avoiding them after recent events and Baljeet was apparently trying to hunt him down. That meant that they were comfortably alone.

"So you're telling me that our platypus might be a secret agent?" Ferb asked carefully.

"Yeah, at least that's what Isabella saw."

Isabella froze in fear at Phineas' slip up. Ferb simply blinked and studied his brother carefully.

"Phineas, although this theory seems to have a lot of weight to it, I can't fully believe you on this. Most imaginary childhood friends fade away by now."

"Seriously, this argument again?" Phineas sighed in frustration. "I don't believe I'm crazy and I have something that can help us prove it."

He held up remote and pressed the button. Instantly, a strange portal shaped machine emerged from the ground.

"This is the reality gate," Phineas explained, "It'll allow us to travel between plains of existence."

"And this'll help us how," Ferb raised an eyebrow.

"If Isabella is something more than a projection of my imagination, this will help us find her if she truly doesn't exist." He looked around carefully for his sister. "Good thing Candace isn't here."

"Why?" Ferb asked curiously.

"Because I don't want her to think I'm crazy."

Isabella laughed and Ferb snorted.

"Seriously, this is Candace we're talking about!" Isabella chuckled.

"Good point."

Ferb sighed and Phineas paused, realizing that he had heard the response.

"Ferb…"

"Let's just get this over with Phineas before the project disappears," Ferb replied quickly, "and we can settle this once and for all."

He stepped through the portal without another word, causing Phineas to sigh. Isabella was about to follow him, but Phineas stopped her.

"Isabella, you can't go through," he said quickly, "I don't know what effects the machine will have on you."

"But, I can't leave you alone Phineas," she protested. "I made a promise. Besides, I want answers as much as you do."

"And we have a better chance of finding them if you stay here," Phineas countered. "Please. It's for your only safety as well."

Isabella glared at Phineas, but his face remained determined. Eventually, she backed down with a sigh.

Now somewhat satisfied that Isabella would remain put, Phineas turned and walked through. Isabella paced for a while, before eventually deciding to sit on the grass. Just as she began to cross her legs, as strange ray came out of no where and stuck the machine. Isabella gasped in horror.

"Phineas!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in an unknown reality…_

Phineas and Ferb landed harshly on the pavement with a huff. They quickly untangled themselves and looked around. The entire street was empty and the whole world had a tint of grey.

"This is weird," Phineas muttered, "This place looks like Danville, except all lifeless and grey."

"Well, we did travel to a different plane," Ferb commented.

Phineas nodded and scanned the area, but found no indication that Isabella was here.

"This world is completely empty. It's like everything else was erased!"

Ferb agreed with his assessment, but he had heard something else and began walking towards the strange sound. Phineas became curious and followed him carefully. Eventually he heard it too, the sound of crackling electricity.

"Do you think that's someone else?"

Ferb shrugged, not quite sure what was making the sound either. Eventually, the duo arrived at the source and gaped at the sight that lay before them.

A massive vortex surged above the city at the central park. The sound came from the lightning that lashed out from the center of the storm, annihilating anything in its path. The whole vortex surged and pulsed with power as it thrashed violently above them. Whole buildings were pulled and defaced as they were pulled into the floating, swirling mass. Even chunks of earth, plants, and concrete were whipped past Phineas' face and up into the air, straight into the center of the storm. The brothers watched in horror as a whole building collapsed right next to them. It disintegrated in seconds and was instantly swallowed by the horrific whirlwind.

"What the heck is this?" Phineas asked in horror.

"I don't know, but we shouldn't stick around to find out," Ferb responded.

Phineas took his cue and began running, but the massive gale that was being generated by the massive storm hindered his movements. Eventually the brothers were reduced to a crawling speed.

"Ferb! I can't move," Phineas yelled in a panic.

The British boy, being far more athletic than his science minded brother, was making far more progress. Nevertheless, he held out his hand and Phineas grasped it instantly. Slowly, they began to walk once more. Phineas screamed and the two ducked as a lamppost came sailing over their heads.

"How do we even get back? We need to get out of here!"

Ferb glared at his brother, wondering why he hadn't thought about it sooner. In mere minutes, the boys had to resort to clinging for dear life as the unnatural force became too much for them to handle.

"We're not going to make it!"

Phineas opened his mouth to respond, or apologize to his brother, but he was interrupted when a rift opened before them and two hands shot out. They grasped the brothers by the collar and pulled them through.

* * *

Phineas and Ferb tumbled into the yard just as the machine was pulled into the rift and disappeared.

"Ugh, what happened?" Phineas groaned.

"I had to save you! That's what!" Isabella crossed her arms, "You are so lucky young man!"

Ferb sat up and gingerly rubbed his head. His eyes roamed the yard before he froze as he caught sight of something.

"Phineas…"

"…and if I had just come along to keep you out of trouble…"

She paused and stared in shock at Ferb. Phineas cut back his response and turned to his brother with concern.

"Are you alright bro?"

Ferb raised a shaky finger, "Is that her?"

Phineas turned back around, expecting to see Candace, but only found Isabella in the yard. His eyes grew the size of dinnerplates as he took in what Ferb had just said.

"Wait, you can see her?!"

Ferb ignored his brother, instead opting to walk up to the strange girl in a pink dress that was floating before him. He had no idea who she was, but a flashback of one of Phineas' statements from before coursed through his mind.

 _I saw a dress on Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro's table and it looked just like yours!_

Ferb had seen the dress Phineas had been talking about, but he almost couldn't believe what he was viewing. A huge part of him wanted to deny it, declare it to be a side effect of the insane ordeal he had just been through, but there was no doubt in his mind about the identity of the girl who floated before him.

"Isabella?"

* * *

Woohoo! Some serious progression in the plot!

I felt very reluctant to write this chapter because it severely weakens the unique and special bond between Phineas and Isabella now that Phineas isn't the only one who can see her. Unfortunately, it's necessary for the storyline. This chapter was originally planned to come a lot later on, however I rewrote the outline for this story quite a bit and it ended up here.

Next chapter is going to be another original episode titled "Prelude to a Nightmare." It will dive deep into Phineas and Isabella's relationship as well as the consequences of Phineas' rash actions.


	8. Prelude to a Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

What the heck? I dropped a massive bombshell last chapter and no one noticed? How did that happen? I was planning to reveal it here, but I guess I'll hold it to myself until someone spots that miniscule, yet extremely important detail :)

Sorry for the delay. University has been a pain, but this was a tricky chapter to write as well. Hopefully, I can update faster in the future.

This is the single most important chapter of the story, even if it looks out of place. It summarizes everything that came before and will foreshadow everything that comes after. It's supposed to be the centerpiece of this story, so hopefully it's good. It fits more into the style that I like to write, but didn't have a place in this specific fandom. This is the only chapter that you're going to see written like this.

It's also where the "T" rating will begin to make a bit more sense as we dive deeper into the love story between Phineas and Isabella.

* * *

"You…You…You…"

Phineas and Isabella stared at Ferb, who was speechless, and not from choice this time.

"You're real!" he shouted in a very un-Ferblike way.

"Well, technically she's not," Phineas scratched his ear nervously, "but I think there's more to it than that. It's what I've been trying to tell you"

Ferb held out a hand tentatively, "Can I?"

Isabella understood his request and held out her hand. Ferb hesitated and brought his hand down, watching it pass right through her incorporeal body. He jumped back in surprise.

"Bloody he…"

"PHINEAS! FERB!" Candace bellowed from the doorway, "What's going on out here? I heard an explosion. It's seven thirty in the morning! Isn't it a bit early for your wacky creations!"

"Oh hi Candace," Phineas waved, "I don't know. We just finished cleaning up."

Candace hmphed and looked at Ferb, who was looking between Isabella and Candace with a ghostly face.

"What's up with Ferb? And what is he looking at?" she asked curiously.

"He's trying to figure out what caused the explosion," Phineas replied without hesitation.

Candace hummed, apparently deciding that she was done with them for the day, and turned to walk back upstairs. Ferb looked over to his brother when she finally disappeared from his sight.

"How do you get accustomed to all…this?" He waved his arms, unable to put a finger on what 'this' was.

"Lots of years of practice. You get used to Isabella eventually." Phineas sighed tiredly, "How long were we in there?"

"A few seconds," Isabella responded, "but I heard quite a bit of screaming."

Ferb studied her carefully, trying to see if she was telling the truth.

"That's strange," Phineas muttered, "we were wandering for hours."

"Maybe time runs differently there?" Ferb said.

The three of them stood there in thought. Then, Phineas shook his head.

"I'm too tired for this. I'm going to take a nap. You two get to know each other or something."

He stumbled into the house, ignoring the two concerned looks that were shot his way, and promptly fell asleep on the couch.

* * *

When Phineas was gone, Ferb collapsed against the side of the tree in exhaustion. His conversation capper had almost been breached and he really didn't feel like talking much more. Isabella sat beside him on the ground. He had seen her floating before, but thinking about it would give him a headache. He appreciated her awareness.

"All this time, I never thought that I would experience what it would be like to interact with someone other than Phineas," she began. "Just talking with you is quite an experience for me."

She glanced over at him and he tried to convey to her that he wasn't going to be talking much. She smiled.

"I guess I'll just talk at you then."

Ferb wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or creeped out by how well she understood him. She had apparently been around him for 3 years now, without him knowing. It was certainly unsettling.

"How did you come to be like this?"

Isabella paused. "I'm actually not sure. The first thing I remember was opening my eyes in a field of blue. It was unnerving, trying to figure out what was happening in those first few moments."

She took a shuddered breath and Ferb felt pity for her. This experience was clearly a tough subject.

"I wasn't sure what I was, but I wandered around as a glowing spirit, trying to figure it out. I came across humans a few days after I formed," she shuddered, "I spent a few months watching them and eventually decided that they were what I aspired to be."

"Well, I can't exactly picture you as a bird or a fish," Ferb remarked dryly.

Isabella gave a small smile, but it didn't have much heart to it. "I met Phineas a year later and by then, I asserted myself that he was someone I aspired to be. I took form and started hanging around here."

"And when did he begin to see you?"

"A few days after I first lay eyes on him actually," she replied tearfully as she recalled that wonderful moment. "It felt as though I had finally found the heart of my existence."

She paused. Ferb was a bit nervous at this point. The amount of affection she was showing for his brother was a bit scary in his mind.

"Talking with you…gives me hope for a future for me that will likely never come. I think Phineas fails to realize that. He's too naïve to realize that I will always be nothing more than an incorporeal spirit to him."

A small part of Ferb agreed with her, that eventually she would fade away. However, in his mind he sympathized with this girl that he barely knew. He respected what she had brought into Phineas' life. Phineas didn't know, but Ferb understood the symbol that their first rollercoaster represented, and what it meant to him.

"Hope," Ferb decided.

The girl looked at him strangely.

"That's what you are to him," he continued, "It may be foolish, but I respect how you shaped him to be how he is today."

Isabella hmmed and the two sat in comfortable silence for a bit before Isabella spoke again.

"I'm not changing my name."

"Aww, but it fits so well…"

"Ferb."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

* * *

Phineas rose from the ocean with a shiver and chattering teeth. He sputtered water out of his mouth as he groggily made his way to shore amidst the crashing waves. Eventually, he flopped onto the sand and was made aware of his problem. A mighty cloak hung from his shoulders, almost dwarfing his body. It was weighing him down, but it also felt strangely like it was in the right place, so he left it alone. Instead, he picked up a long piece of driftwood and used it as a crutch to compensate for the extra weight. It was dark out, but Phineas was quickly able to muster a small flame at the end of his staff with a few sharp strikes of flint he had found on the beach.

A small chuckle emanated to his right and Phineas turned to see who was making fun of his struggle. Then his eyes widened.

Sitting on a rock, mere feet away from him, was an older Isabella with blood red wings and a scaly dress. The fire illuminated her red hair. She smiled mischievously as she leaned in close. Phineas felt sweat gathering upon his brow.

"Aren't I a bit young to be dreaming of this?" he whispered.

"We are such stuff, as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep." the 'Isabella' entoned, "As centaurs and rainbows to me, were mermaids and sirens to you."

Phineas frowned, the meaning lost on him, "Are you here to guide me or not? I don't understand one lick of this place."

Isabella laughed, a harsh laugh that sent shivers down his spine, "The path is already chosen, you need not me to guide you."

Phineas groaned, obviously she wasn't going to help. He would have to find someone else to sort out the mess. Quietly, he turned away and began walking.

"Be not afeared; the isle is full of noises," she called after him with a cackle. "Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not."

He ignored her and continued onward.

* * *

"Ferdinand!" Baljeet cried from his position by a crude lean to. Him and Buford were apparently in the middle of constructing a shelter and Phineas, for the life of him, couldn't figure out why. The Indian boy was dressed in a suit with a straightened tie and sheer black boots. It certainly seemed out of place in the setting. Buford, in contrast, wore a heavy sheet, part of a sail, across his chest. It appeared as though it were the only thing he was wearing. Eventually, he decided to ask about the shelter.

"Hey Baljeet and Buford. What's this for?" he inquired curiously.

"Silly Ferdinand, it is I Trinculo," the boy proclaimed proudly, "and this is Stefano."

'Buford' gave a wave and a grunt. Phineas was now extremely confused.

"Okay…Ba-Triculo, what is this for?"

"Haven't ya heard?" 'Buford responded gruffly, "You there for that unnatural shower of white? My gut be feelin a storm comin. You hunker down if you wanna keep that head o' yours. There be more white over the horizon. We must make haste to right our course."

"Yeah sure, I'll keep that in mind," Phineas muttered as he began wandering away. As he passed into the trees, he heard Baljeet behind him faintly.

"Come on, Triculo, let us sing."

 _Flout 'em and scout 'em,_

 _And scout 'em and flout 'em_

 _Thought is free._

"That is not the tune…"

* * *

The next person that Phineas encountered was Ferb and he was a mere shadow of his brother. The mustache that hung beneath his nose seemed out of place and he gave the appearance of an old, hagged gaffer. Yet, his eyes gleamed with the fire reflected in them with a menace that Phineas had never seen in his brother before.

"Look how well my garments sit upon me," he said with a sickly smile, "Much feater than before don't you think."

"Ferb, you're really creeping me out here bro," Phineas backed up a bit in fear, "What is the meaning of all this."

"Time has no meaning to us," Ferb responded with a leer, "After all, you hold it in the palm of your grasp, stretching it forward, backward, and all around. Endless summers lay before us, and you treat it like a toy."

The man, who Phineas no longer recognized as his brother, advanced toward him with a single arm outstretched.

"You shall join me in the darkness," he growled. "See how this world falls under your naivety and selfishness. The time for meddling is over. Now is the time for destruction."

Phineas turned around and ran, ignoring the evil laughter coming from behind him.

"The noontide sun, called forth the mutinous winds, and 'twixt the green sea and the azured vault. Set roaring war—to th' dread rattling thunder. I have seen it all, and when the clouds clear, soon you shall as well!"

* * *

Phineas came upon his sister, and she was already a far more appealing sight. She was dressed in the same gown she had after switching with her doppelganger for a day (Phineas still chuckled at that particular incident). However, her orange hair was stained a dark red and sunglasses covered her eyes. In her hands was a staff that she was twirling expertly. He approached her silently, hoping not to break her concentration in the darkness.

"Good boatswain, have care. Where's the master?"

Phineas shook his head, "You all are speaking nonsense to me."

"O, how oddly will it sound that I…" she paused, "give me your hands."

Phineas was confused, but complied anyway.

"There, now you are within the sights of my palms," she tilted her head downward and began running circles over Phineas' hands, "Ah I can see better now."

Phineas tilted his head, "What do you see?"

"Destruction, selfishness, and above all, love" she whispered and Phineas' eyes widened in fear, "These are not natural events; they strengthen from strange to stranger. I long to hear the story of your life, which must…"

"That's quite enough," Phineas sputtered, "I must get out of here. I cannot learn anything more."

Candace smiled as the boy made a hasty retreat.

"Dear boy, you are not prepared for what's to come."

* * *

The last place that Phineas found himself in was the top terrace of the island's peak. There, it felt calmer and less calamitous than the rest of the scene. It felt right to Phineas and he slowly felt himself relaxing. He sat down while curling the strange cloak around himself for warmth and let the fresh air wash over him. He looked out over the calm waters at the soft waves; not that he could see much in the dark night. The chatter of platypuses in the distance, and the cries of seagulls over the ocean came to him. He was content for the moment.

Eventually, he felt a presence beside him and turned towards the intruder.

Another Isabella, far different from the one he had met earlier, gave him a smile and took a seat next to him. Her sky blue dress was long and flowing this time and her hair was neatly tucked into a ponytail tied with her signature bow. She wore no shoes, but instead opted to float beside him on the cliffside. Then she spoke.

"All hail, great master."

Phineas instantly responded, "I'm not your master."

"Remember I have done thee worthy service," she responded with slight disappointment. "Is there more toil? Since dost give me worthy pains."

Phineas shook his head, unsure about everything that he was hearing and running out of patience, even with his closest friend, "I'm sorry, what?"

Isabella didn't respond, but instead took up his hands. Phineas jumped at the sensation, having never felt what it was like to touch her. She began to rub her fingers over them smoothly while staring lovingly into his eyes.

"My liberty," she said softly, "thou'st have promised. Yet these cages hold me here."

Phineas frowned, unable to understand what she was getting at. Instead, he let out a frustrated sigh and Isabella turned toward the open air.

"Look, as the morning steals upon the night," she said excitedly, "melting the darkness."

Phineas turned and indeed, the sun was rising in the distance, illuminating the island. Phineas could see it all now, the dark forest, the steep cliffs, and the harshly lit beaches were all revealed to him. An orange glow was cast over the scene with blinding ferocity. Phineas could see Baljeet and Buford, huddled under the shelter. He could see Ferb, stalking in the treeline. He could even see Candace, resting on the edge of the cliffside, continuing to twirl that stick of hers.

"It's beautiful," he whispered.

Isabella gave him a sideways glance, "Blind and foolish, you are. I am your eyes and ears after all."

Phineas was sick of that line. He had been hearing that all night and to hear it from his best friend, it stung.

"What am I blind to?"

"Look closer," Isabella pointed and hineas followed her finger over to the clear horizon. Beyond the edge of the earth lay a shroud that cut his view off from the rest of the world. "Look upon what we have wrought."

Phineas peered closely, and he noticed that the squall was intensifying and moving steadily towards them. He got up shakily and turned to the young woman next to him.

"We have to get out of here."

"There is no path but the one you have chosen," Isabella implored, "this is the only escape now."

Phineas shuddered nervously as the temperature suddenly dropped. The fog was advancing at a rapid pace toward the island now. He was already beginning to feel the breeze pick up and the telltale signs of water falling on his nose.

"We have to do something!" he cried.

"What's past is prologue," Isabella said with a shrug. Evidently, she seemed unconcerned with what was coming. "and the past cannot be changed."

Phineas screamed as the storm finally tore into the island, sweeping away Buford and Baljeet's lean to with little effort before moving on to Candace.

"My friends and family are down there! We can't just do nothing!"

"Oh, Wonder!" Isabella shouted, "How many wonderful creatures there are here! Mankind is so beautiful! Oh, what a wonderful new world, that has such people in it!"

Phineas closed his eyes and tried to shut out the image of Ferb being swept away into the clouds and turned towards Isabella with determination. The rain cascaded down his nose and he wind whipped his hair over his ears, but he stained to talk to her once more.

"How do we stop this?"

"I would, were I human," Isabella shook her head, "Fate is in your hands now Phineas."

As she began to fade away, Phineas tried to clasp her hands as hard as he could.

"What part do I play in all this?"

"Oh, Prospero," she responded with sorrow, "You are the storm."

With that, the last of her was swept away in the howling gale and Phineas collapsed on the rocks at the storm surged around him. He screamed for the loss of his friends. He screamed for the loss of his sister. He screamed for the loss of his brother.

And above all, he screamed for the loss of his love.

And then he fell.

* * *

Phineas woke with a start as he hit the floor hard. He opened his eyes to find Candace staring down at him with concern.

"Phineas, are you alright?" she asked, "You've been sleeping here almost the whole day."

"Whole day?" Phineas parroted groggily. He looked out the glass doors to find that it was indeed dark outside. "I guess I need to get up to my room for a proper sleep."

"Sleep? You just napped for like 8 hours!"

"Goodnight Candace."

Phineas walked up the stairs, and almost tripped over Perry at the top.

 _Grrrrr_

"Oh there you are Perry," Phineas patted his head briefly before slowly opening the door to his room. He frowned briefly down at his pet, remembering what Isabella had told him earlier. His pet just stared back with that cross eyed look of his and gave another soft chatter. Phineas shook his head sleepily.

"Secret agent platypus? I don't see it," he muttered.

He quietly tucked himself into bed, missing the wide eyed look that appeared on Perry's face, and set the alarm late for tomorrow.

And although he slept soundly through the night, the dream and the warning that Isabella had given him, still wouldn't leave his head.

 _You are the storm._

* * *

I love prophetic dreams, and this is one of them. Everything you ever need to know about the future of this series is hidden here, in Shakespearean language. Muahahahaha! Interpreting it all is a herculean task. I meticulously planned out every detail and quote in this chapter so that everything has significance. If someone manages to crack the code of the series here, I'll be seriously impressed.

Next up is "It's About Time!" The chapters will start to diverge more and more from the official canon and once I finish season 1, everything will have changed. The next chapter is probably going to be a longer one too, so it'll maybe take about a week to write if I'm busy.


	9. It's About Time

**Author's Note:**

In retrospect, this story may have to be shortened. 40 chapters is a bit much, but I'll see how I feel when we get past the end of Act I (which is in 3 chapters).

Unfortunately the outline for this chapter changed quite a few times and I only recently came up with a solid plan for it. Thus, it's not as well thought out as the other major chapters in this story. I'm assuming that PnF begins and ends in 2008.

Lastly, I removed the Milo reference from 'S'winter' because I cut the Milo Murphy's Law crossover out of this series so that the timeline, and the plot, makes a lot more sense. Plus, I couldn't cram it in with everything else. Just so we're clear, this story takes place in the summer before Milo Murphy's Law and will end the day before it begins. Hopefully the timeline makes more sense now.

On the bright side, the 'Milo Murphy's Law' mid season finale is also arriving tomorrow, I think. I'm so excited! The story, which looks like it's being split into 2 parts, is as follows:

 _Freefall:_ _Milo and his friends get support from Phineas and Ferb and other familiar faces from Danville in eliminating the chaos triggered by Murphy's Law._

 _Milo's World:_ _Everything changes as the circle around Murphy gets new followers, Cavendish and Dakota find a new vocation, and the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance. Only together can Milo and his steadily growing group of friends prevent the greatest disaster._

* * *

The next morning, Phineas stumbled out of bed late. His hair was a mess and his clothes were all rumpled. He straightened himself out as best he could and walked out into the backyard. Ferb and Isabella looked up from the game of chess they were playing.

"Oh, hi Phineas!" Isabella waved, "Have you recovered yet?"

"I'm still processing all of this," he mumbled. "I had the strangest dream last night."

"Hmm, you'll have to tell us about it afterward. Rook to c8." She called.

Ferb moved the piece for her.

"You're playing chess together?" Phineas asked incredulously.

"Yes, yes we are. Isabella has proven to be a far more fitting challenge than you," Ferb responded while advancing his king. "And it's a good way to ease myself into being around her."

Isabella blushed, "Well I may or may not have spent a month hanging around Bobby Fischer. He was so fascinating. Bishop C5 check."

Phineas watched in amazement as Ferb tilted his head to the side. Phineas had known his brother for forever, and he knew that this game was taxing him far more than usual.

 _Isabella's really smart. She's holding up against Ferb._

After deciding that he wasn't going to try to understand the complex strategy behind their moves, he plopped on the ground by the tree and began to read a book.

* * *

15 minutes later, Phienas heard a Ferb packing away the pieces. He looked up in interest.

"So, who won?"

"It was a draw," Isabella admitted, "Ferb is extraordinary."

"Well considering that you've never played the game before now, I think you did quite well," Ferb responded amicably.

Isabella blushed cutely and a small smile crossed Ferb's face. He could warm up to this girl. She had proven herself to him mentally. He was certainly looking forward to more matches in the future.

"Well since we're taking it slow today, I've decided that we should go visit the museum," Phineas announced, "We could go see dinosaurs! Not live ones though. We should definitely put that on the bucket list."

Ferb gave a thumbs up and wrote it on a notepad, right under giving a monkey a shower.

"Really, no crazy inventions for today?" Isabella asked.

"Nah, we don't need to do that every day. Sometimes it's good to kick back and enjoy life's simplest endeavors."

* * *

The trio made it to the museum fairly fast. Phineas certainly enjoyed the look on his brother's face when Isabella began doing mid air loop-de-loops. Ferb simply shook his head and tried to ignore the girl. After they got the entrance, they paid the admission for two kids and made their way inside.

After a bit of aimless wandering, Phineas decided to bring something up with Ferb that had been bugging him for a bit.

"Ferb? Do you remember a few days back when we found that secret lair under our house?"

Isabella brightened, happy that he was finally telling his brother about this. Ferb nodded.

"Well Isabella caught sight of the person who dumped us all out of the hoverjet and we believe it was Agent P."

Ferb gestured for Phineas to get to the point and Phineas took a deep breath.

"She thinks it's Perry."

Ferb rolled his eyes upward and scratched his chin. Isabella looked at him nervously to see if he would believe her. Eventually, he nodded.

"Well, it does make sense. Afterall, he does disappear consistently every day."

Phineas looked at him in surprise and Isabella felt a bit offended. Eventually he responded.

"Huh. I guess I never looked at it that way."

"Well he's already disappeared today, so maybe we can confront him tomorrow," Isabella suggested.

"No, this has been on my mind for too long," Phineas said with determination. "Ferb and I will confront him tonight."

Isabella sighed, but nodded. "I'll be there."

Just as Ferb was about say something else, Phineas accidently collided with a girl with an oof! Ever the gentlemen, Ferb rushed to help her up. Phineas sprang up quick to help him.

"I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed.

The girl chucked and straightened her skirt. "It's okay, but next time you might want to be a bit more aware.

Phineas was about to respond when he caught sight of something that caused him to widen his eyes in amazement. Before him was a strange chair that was absolutely covered in parts, wiring, and lightbulbs.

"Woah, what is that?"

"Oh, it's a relic time machine apparently. My grand uncle Onassis invented it and I'm not even sure if it works."

"Cool! So are you an inventor or something. I bet we could do something about this," Phineas scratched his head thoughtfully, "I think we can make it work. By the way, I never caught your name."

"Oh, I'm not really that far along yet. My name's…"

"PHINEAS! FERB!" Candace stormed into the room, "Why did you decide to build your crazy contraption in a museum!"

"Well actually…" Ferb started to reply, but Candace cut him off.

"Forget it," she snatched up the nearest part she could find, which was a bright blue lightbulb and turned around quickly, "I'm showing this to mom."

She barely took one step before the device slipped out of her hands are she tripped on a stray wire. In a panic, she tossed it over her shoulder by accident and it landed among the children. The girl barely managed to jump out of the way before it emitted a large pulse that pulled Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella out of sight.

The girl glared at Candace, who looked on in horror at the now empty space that her brothers once occupied.

"Oops," she muttered.

* * *

Phineas felt that he was flying endlessly through a vacuum. He felt constantly pulled forward by an unseen force that was throwing him deeper down the strange, otherworldly tunnel. He tried to get his bearings, but was unable to do so when their journey came to a crashing halt as the trio fell through a sudden rift in front of them, bringing them out of the limbo and down to Earth again.

"Ugh," Phineas clutched his nose, "What in the world was that?"

Ferb came next, landing slightly more gracefully than his brother, and Isabella came floating down as well.

"Thank goodness," she cried, "I thought I lost you."

"Oh, you made it too I guess," Phineas paused, then his eyes widened in shock, "Wait, Isabella?!"

* * *

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," Candace shouted in a full blown panic, "I lost my brothers! You!"

"Me?" the girl asked in confusion.

"Yes you! You were working with the boys on this contraption right? What did it do to them?"

"Actually, the machine has always been here. This wasn't something they or I created. Did you read the sign?" she pointed up and Candace followed her finger.

 _Gadgets Through the Ages_

"How did I miss that? I…" she shook her head, "Nevermind. Can you get them back?"

"I may have some of my grand uncle's old blueprints for this, but I have to go get them," she shifted uncomfortably, "I'll be back in a bit."

"Wait!" Candace shouted as the girl dashed off, "Do you know what happened to them?"

"Yeah, it's a time machine. Didn't you read the other sign?"

Candace looked down as her footsteps faded away.

 _Time Machine_

Candace groaned in annoyance.

* * *

"How are you here?" Phineas sputtered.

"I don't know," Isabella looked down at herself wonderingly. "I just saw you falling and flew after you. I didn't really think about anything else."

"I think the best question to ask is where we are." Ferb interjected.

Realizing his point, Phineas looked up and took in his surroundings and he wasn't very happy with what he found. The street around them was barren and the whole scene was cast with a scarily red glow. There was no life, humans, or even animals to be found.

"Uh, boys?" Isabella called nervously, "You might want to come and look at this."

Phineas and Ferb made there way over tentatively and peered down at the news clipping that she had pointed out. It was dated at 2012 and Phineas read it over with surprise.

"Is this the future?" he sputtered. "This doesn't look good."

Ferb and Isabella had to agree with him. The headline highlighted the fall of the tri-state area and subsequent rise of a very familiar man.

"Doofenshmirtz," Isabella muttered.

Sure enough, depicted in the figures, was the mad scientist himself leading an army of hovering robots with red visors, terrorizing the citizens of the Tri-State Area.

"How did this happen?" Ferb asked.

Phineas turned downward to look at the caption below.

 _After a landslide victory in the previous year's, our benevolent mayor Doofenshmirtz has turned his infamous mechron tech on the general populace! Back from their stay at the school for S.T.A.R.S, brilliant inventors Phineas and Ferb have struck up a resistance against the dread bots and everyone in Danville hopes that these famed brothers can save us all._

"What happened here?" Phineas muttered, "More importantly, what happened to us?"

Ferb and Isabella shared a knowing look. They had a theory, but neither of them wanted to admit it out loud to Phineas.

"We need to get out of here," Phineas rose and Ferb quickly nodded his agreement.

"But how?" Isabella protested, "We don't even know how we got to the future. We need to hide out and decide on a course of action."

Phineas didn't quite hear her and chose to walk at a rapid pace away from them and instantly found himself knocked over by a metal arm. He looked up in surprise, and terror, as he found the robot from the newspaper hovering before him with one arm stretched forward.

"Phineas Flynn located. Executing primary order."

Phineas barely managed to dive to one side as the laser blast obliterated the spot he had just vacated. He did manage to shout out a warning though.

"FERB! ISABELLA! RUN!"

Ferb wasn't listening though. Having already seen his brother in trouble, he snatched up a long metal rod and charged the robot. It switched targets quickly though and identified the largest threat.

"Ferbs Fletcher located. Executing primary order."

A huge arsenal of missiles sprung from its back and unleashed a salvo on the British boy, but he quickly used the pole to vault gracefully over the firestorm and onto the robot's back. Within seconds, he had the back panel open.

"ERROR! ERROR!"

The robot flew around in all directions, firing randomly as Ferb desperately tried to shut it down. Phineas swiftly took cover by Isabella around the corner out of range.

Finally, after a 2 minute struggle, Ferb yanked the last few wires out and the robot shut down. He barely managed to roll off the back before it exploded. Then everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Looks like we're in the clear."

"Oh no you're not!" came a harsh, high pitched voice.

The three kids looked up in horror as a legion of robots flew over the horizon and approached them at a rapid pace.

And at the front, riding his uniquely styled skull shaped machine, was Evil Doctor Heinz Doofenshmirtz.

* * *

"How long till this is finished?" Candace demanded.

"The same amount of time as it was the last five times you've asked," the girl shot back harshly, "I've never fixed something like this. It's not every day an eight grader has to build a time machine! It would go faster if you helped more!"

Candace groaned, but quickly picked up a wrench and began tightening bolts on the other side of the machine.

"It's just…I have this terrible feeling that the boys are in trouble and we might be too late."

* * *

Isabella looked around rapidly for an escape for the boys to use, but they wouldn't be able to run 5 feet before being annihilated. Thankfully, Doofenshmirtz seemed content to observe the brothers with amusement.

"I didn't expect you two to show up again," he continued with an air of arrogance, "You gave me quite a bit of trouble on your first run."

"What happened to you?" Phineas interrupted, while trying not to think about Doofenshmirtz's statement. "How the heck was Agent P unable to stop you?"

"Oh, Perry the Platypus was barely an obstacle for me. He was certainly a worthy opponent though." He rippled in the middle of an unseen flashback and the three children exchanged a nervous glance. Their theory on Agent P was holding a lot of weight now.

"Keep him talking," Isabella said desperately.

"And how about us?"

"Well you see, our fight was rather interesting. You…"

He was interrupted by a large flash as something huge fell out of the sky, crushing the robots and Heinz. Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella looked in surprise at Candace and the kid they had met earlier. Thankfully, Candace was more active.

"Get in!"

They needed no further prompting. Phineas and Ferb jumped into the machine without hesitation whilst Isabella flew into the side seat.

"Wait, what about Isabella?" Phineas cried.

"Who's Isabella?" Candace asked.

There was a scream of rage from beneath them and the group caught sight of a metallic glint over the horizon.

"No time! Just go." Ferb said.

Candace pulled the lever as the first lasers began sailing towards them.

* * *

The gang arrived in the present with a bang and Candace quickly tumbled out of the machine in dizziness .

"Water! I need water! Jeremy!" Candace stumbled off, leaving the kids behind. They looked at her for a moment before Phineas turned to his right. He sighed in relief when he saw Isabella safely beside him and she gave him a slight smile.

"Thank goodness that's over," she whispered sadly.

"Well, as fun as this all was, please don't call me to help you with something like that ever again," the girl wiped sweat from her brow, "It's far more stressful than usual for me."

"It's okay, we won't, but it was nice to meet a fellow inventor." Phineas held out his hand to shake and she took it. "I hope we meet again, err…"

"My name's Melissa," the girl responded, "Melissa Chase."

* * *

Doofenshmirtz scowled as he attempted to nurse his wounded eye with a rag. He let out a yell of pain and eventually gave up. He looked up at the world he had worked so hard to create and knew the cause was now lost.

"This world is falling apart," he mused, "Pretty soon there will be nothing left. I must move quickly to secure a new dimension for myself. Then, I can exact my revenge."

He slowly turned away from his mirror and picked something off the table next to him. He delicately wrapped it across his head and over his eye. He snatched up his pouch and opened his fist, revealing the shine of red gems on his nails.

Slowly, as his long fingers began to glow, a portal opened before him and he let out a cry of triumph.

"Fly, fly my normbots! We have some oppressing to do!"

As he stepped through, followed closely by his legion of robots, his insane laughter echoed through the ruins of Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated. Then, the portal closed and the decrepit building finally collapsed along with the rest of future Danville.

* * *

I really hope I'm not pushing the violence in this chapter too far. As far as I'm concerned, it's still not as bad as say, Norm Unleashed or Across the Second Dimension. Hopefully someone losing an eye isn't too bad…

And yes, Second Dimension Doofenshmirtz (or some version of him) is born! Which begs the question of what's going to happen when we get to the movie.

One of the initial struggles I had with this chapter was 'Who was going to fix the time machine?' with Isabella gone and the fireside girls scattered. Then I saw 'The Ticking Clock' from Milo Murphy's Law Season 2 and I knew I had to bring in Melissa. She's really has the innovation, optimism, big ideas, and capability. She's like Baljeet, but with Phineas' outlook on life.

Next up is Traffic Cam Caper, in which the Flynn-Fletcher duo finally confronts their pet platypus in the penultimate episode of this first act.


	10. Traffic Cam Caper

**Author's Note:**

This chapter isn't that long because I really want to get to the next chapter. This fanfic is divided into four parts, and chapter ten will be the end of act one, or the season finale.

Milo and Melissa will appear a few more times before the end of the story, so you haven't seen the last of them. Zack won't be appearing unfortunately because he hasn't come to Danville yet.

* * *

Buford sighed as he looked over the moonlit lake that lay before him. It's beauty fascinated him and it reminded the bully of a time where he was younger, playing with his gold fish Biff. Those times were past him now. He had found a new companion, who was sitting next to him on the dock in silence. However, someone had to address their issues, and his companion took the lead.

"So Buford…" the Indian boy began, "Why did you do it?"

"I had to support my ma," Buford responded after carelessly tossing a metal ball bearing into the bay. "It seemed like the best option for a guy like me. I didn't have the smarts. I didn't have the aspiration either. It was the only way."

"Why didn't you come to me for help? I could've…"

"What could you have done?" Buford interrupted, "Help carry me from job to job? Show me the tools of the trade for a week before I get fired. Would you have guided me my whole life from job to job, couch to couch. That's not a man's way of doing things."

He took a deep breath.

"This is something that I have to learn for myself."

Baljeet was quieted for a moment, before he finally decided to speak once more.

"So…why do you keep working for Doofenshmirtz then?" he asked curiously. "Crime doesn't pay you know."

"I would like to move on," Buford sighed, "but Doof is actually a decent guy, besides that time where he blew up that bridge. His payment is even more decent. He gets into fights with an agent from time to time, but it's fun to watch, from a safe distance I mean."

Up until now, Baljeet had only been half listening to the bully's woes, but the last part caught his attention and his eyes widened.

"Wait, does the agent show up regularly? And is it a platypus?"

"A what?! All I know is that it was some weird thing with a beaver tail and a hat. It stood up on its hind legs and packs quite a punch. Believe me, I worry about Doof sometimes with all the beatings he takes. Why do you care so much?"

Baljeet was shaking now, "Oh boy, Phineas and Ferb need to know about this."

* * *

Perry sighed as he entered his lair late at night. Monogram had called him in today again and he was already tired from his fight with Doofenshmirtz. Plus, the comment that Phineas had made earlier was really bugging him. How did Phineas even begin to suspect his double life? Where did he get that idea?

He put those thoughts aside as he entered the room and took a seat in his chair. The screen in front of him automatically sprang to life and Monogram's face appeared.

"Sorry to disturb you at this late hour," he began, "but we are about to give you the most important mission of your career. Our spy tells us that a city security camera located near your civilian hideout has recorded your comings and goings as a secret agent. It's crucial to the agency's security that you get those recordings and bring them back to HQ for special disposal."

Perry gave a distressed chatter. Now, his cover was in even more danger than before? First, the boys had discovered his lair and now this? He didn't want to have it all fall on him late a night. He chattered tiredly and made his way to the elevator.

* * *

Meanwhile, Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella were sitting in the yard by the tree while looking at the secret entrance with curiosity.

"So, how do we know Agent P is going to come back here?" Isabella asked.

"Well, Ferb and I revisited our underground S.H.E.D. and found that someone had completely repurposed a few of our gadgets," Phineas said in slight puzzlement. "We even found some unfamiliar machines such as various laser cannons. We didn't dare to test out what they did though."

"What even more concerning is that someone managed to get into the S.H.E.D. at all," Ferb continued. "We still don't know how."

"Well, maybe Agent P knows something about it. We should add that to the long list of questions we have for him or her."

Suddenly, the tree hatch began to open up. Isabella was the first to notice.

"Guys, Agent P is here!"

The three of them watched in anticipation as smoke poured out of the opening. Slowly, the figure began to come into view.

* * *

Perry coughed and tried to clear the dust from his eyes and mouth. It had been a while since he used that entrance. He had been trying to avoid it after Phineas and Ferb found it. After a few moments, he managed to get a clear view of the back yard.

"Ah ha!" came an excited voice.

Perry had no time to react or put away his hat before he was quickly grabbed by two small arms. Then his sleepiness turned to full panic. Before him was his owner, who now regarded him with a triumphant, yet very resigned expression.

"Perry…" he trailed off, "I guess she was right. You are Agent P are you?"

Perry tried to cross his eyes again, but Phineas just shook his head. "You can't pull that trick on me anymore. Don't try to hide it."

Perry's head drooped and he stopped struggling. He just didn't want to fight Phineas.

"Look, I don't know how long you've been hiding this from us, but although I'm quite unhappy about this revelation, we just want to talk."

Perry looked over at Ferb, who gave him a nod. Phineas set the platypus down carefully, making sure that he wouldn't run away. Perry did no such thing. Although the agent part of him was inwardly begging to run away, the part of him that belonged to his beloved boys willed him to stay.

It was becoming tiring every summer, sneaking away and never being apart his owners' extraordinary lives. It hurt every time the phrase "Hey, where's Perry?" was uttered, and it brought content whenever he was greeted with "Oh, there you are Perry" once again. He was just so tired of running. So, he simply took a seat on the grass and began fidgeting with his hat a bit. Phineas and Ferb, seemingly satisfied that Perry wouldn't run away, took a seat at his side.

After a few moments of silence, in which Perry gave them time to digest this new information, Phineas asked his first question.

"So, why didn't you tell us about this?"

Perry simply reached inside of his fedora and handed Phineas a pamphlet. The boy took it curiously and read its contents. All the while, Perry watched nervously until Phineas found what Perry had wanted him to see. The, Phineas' eyes widened.

"You have to be sent away?" Phineas exclaimed.

Perry shrugged sadly. It was policy.

Phineas paused, and looked off to the side strangely. Then, he uttered an 'oh' and continued reading.

"So the alternative is having our minds erased then?"

Perry nodded with regret. There really was no other alternative.

"Can we just all agree to not…say anything?"

Perry wrung his hat in his hands. He really did want to stop hiding from his owners. It was becoming harder every day, emotionally and physically. Monogram hadn't called him yet, and he would have if he found out that his best agent was disclosing OWCA secrets. Plus, he really needed to get going to take care of that disk. Eventually, he chattered and pulled out a notepad. Phineas and Ferb watched in fascination as he wrote a note and showed it to them.

"It's alright as long as I do a small favour for you?"

Perry nodded.

"So, what do you need?"

* * *

Unknown to the Phineas, Ferb, Perry, or Isabella, someone had been watching the whole conversation. In the tree by the Flynn-Fletcher house, the person lowered their binoculars with a frown and retreated into the foilage when the boys raced into the house and closed the door behind them with barely a sound. The figure reached into their back pocket, pulled out a small raygun, and charged the weapon.

* * *

Phineas peered into Candace's room and sighed in relief that Candace hadn't found anything incriminating about Perry, so he walked in with Isabella at his side.

"We have to get that disc," Isabella whispered to Phineas, "It's still in her computer so we have to keep her distracted."

Phineas took a deep breath before entering Candace's room. His entrance caused his sister to look to the doorway and her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Phineas, you won't believe what I found here!"

Actually, Phineas had a pretty good idea of what Candace had found, but instead he said, "Hmm, what did you find?"

"Evidence," she proclaimed happily while shoving the computer in his direction, "Just look at this."

Phineas did look, and just as Perry had suspected, all of their past inventions were stored there. Phineas shuddered a bit when a shot of Perry rising in his hovercraft flashed across the screen.

"Candace, where did you get this?" he asked carefully.

"Oh, I just stole it from our traffic cam!" she proclaimed proudly. "Oh wait until mom sees this!"

Just as she held up the disc triumphantly, a random ray flew through the window and struck the disc. Candace didn't notice, but Phineas did.

"Uh, Candace?"

"No time Phineas!" she was already running out the door, "Mom! Mom!"

Phineas and Isabella darted to the window to see what had happened, but couldn't see any source of the strange beam

"Where did that come from?" Isabella asked shakily, "and what did it do?"

Phineas shrugged as Candace came barging in, waving the CD crazily.

"Look, I've got proof," she shouted as she jammed the CD into the holder. "Feast your eyes on this!"

Phineas watched in horror as the computer booted up, but his fear was quickly replaced with relief when the file on the disc turned up blank.

'I guess I should be thankful of what my sister calls The Mysterious Force afterall' he mused.

He and Isabella watched in relief as Candace sputtered while Linda scolded her for waking everyone up.

'Crisis averted.'

* * *

Underneath the shallow ground of the Flynn-Fletcher property, a lone human navigated their way down a secret tunnel, known only to three other people in the world. They approached an imposing door before entering the key. It gave a sharp beep and the doorway swung open. The person then made their way inside quickly as the entrance quietly closed.

The chair at the center of a pile of flickering screens and monitors swivelled around and the person sitting in it revealed themselves.

"Ah, you've come back Agent Pearl," Carl rose from his position in the chair, "I trust that your mission was successful?"

Pearl didn't respond, but merely tossed a USB to the young teen, who almost dropped it, but managed to get a firm hold on it.

"In there is all the information regarding the brother's inventions since the beginning of summer," Pearl responded lowly, "That should be more than suitable for our purposes. Now where is my payment?"

Carl gestured on the table and Pearl quickly snatched up the bills.

"And what do we do about Agent P?" Carl asked. "He blew his cover to the boys already."

"We must preserve his status in OWCA and at the Flynn-Fletcher's side," Pearl responded, "They will prove useful in the future once Doofenshmirtz returns."

"What of Doofenshmirtz," Carl responded with a bit of fear, "I hear he's already made his move in the second dimension. All of Danville has fallen!"

"Then let the resistance know to move underground and stay hidden until we have the time to send them aid," Pearl responded with little concern. "It will be a gamble to let him build up once more, but for the sake of our futures, we must bring him down before it is too late."

"Very well, I'll try to stall the Super Secret Spy Network and keep them off the Flynn-Fletcher's backs. Then, we should have no trouble bring down S.T.A.R.S' establishment," Carl said with satisfaction.

Pearl gave a small grin as the agent leaned on the wall with their arms across their chest, "It's about time. The future is coming for us now and whatever is left in the chaos will be changed forever.

* * *

 **Next up is 'At Last':** In which truths are revealed and the secrets of the future begin to unravel, leading to an explosive confrontation.


	11. At Last Part 1: Doofania Rising

**Author's Note:**

No reviews on last chapter? Huh.

Welcome to the season 1 finale! This is where the action really starts to pick up.

* * *

"Ack, maintenance, electric power, and more maintenance. This evil thing is really costing me," Doofenshmirtz muttered as he leafed through his bills. "I ought to build an inator to cut prices or something."

"Seriously! You're stuck here with your bills again?"

Doofenshmirtz jumped in the air with a fright, before settling down slightly and getting a good look at the intruder.

"Vanessa?"

The goth teen crossed her arms in response and regarded the evil scientist with a cold look.

"I haven't seen you in a year? How have you been?"

"I've been getting around the world, whilst you haven't changed," she scoffed, "you're still stuck in one place."

"Why thank y…Hey!"

"Look at you! You're just sitting here, pushing papers," she groaned, "You're the most pathetic evil scientist ever!"

"Woah baby girl! I'm trying you know?" Doofenshmirtz crossed his arms. "It's just Perry the Pla…"

"Oh Perry, Perry, Perry," Vanessa sighed, while reaching out to stroke his cheek. This caused Doofenshmirtz to shrink back a bit. "Won't you ever learn? The problem was never him."

Doofenshmirtz gave a little shriek of terror as red eyes emerged from the shadows behind his daughter.

"The problem is you…" she whispered, "You fear what you'll lose once you go too far. What the consequences will be when . But you can change that."

"I can?" Doofenshmirtz asked in surprise.

"Yes, you can." Vanessa smiled in assurance. "Who was the one who promised me to build a better life for us both?"

"Me?" Doofenshmirtz responded hesitantly.

"Who was the one who promised to me to make Doofania our reality?" She pressed.

"Me!" He responded with more confidence.

"Who was the one who promised me the world!" She yelled.

"I PROMISED!" Doofenshmirtz yelled in response. In an instant, all the red eyes scattered and the pair was left alone. Vanessa smiled and approached him, yet never embraced. Instead, she simply raised a hand in farewell.

"I'll come home soon…dad. See you around."

She quietly faded away, leaving Doofenshmirtz alone in the room. As the world began to collapse around him, the man closed his eyes and let out a small smile.

* * *

Doofenshmirtz woke with a gasp, papers glued to his face. He swatted at them and let out a satisfied sigh. Soon, his face turned to a malicious and evil grin.

"I know what I'm going to do today."

Linebreak

"So, what do we do now since we now know that Perry is Agent P?" Isabella asked tentatively.

"Nothing for now," Ferb responded. "We still have a lot to deal with, including this future apocalypse."

"Yeah, what should we do about it?" Phineas continued. "We know that Doofenshmirtz was involved, but he's hardly made any threatening movements yet. We have to sit tight and try to find out more about this 'S.T.A.R.S' school. In the meantime, we don't have much to worry about. We might as well continue on as normal."

The gate slammed open and Buford and Baljeet strolled in. Buford, noticeably wasn't carrying Baljeet, but at least the Indian boy seemed calm enough in his presence. Phineas was thankful that they had managed to sort out their issues.

"Hey Phineas! Buford here thinks that the cars in the 'Space Adventure' movie are lame. Can you prove him wrong."

"Watch your mouth," Buford growled, "I'm standing right here. I still say that flying cars are a stupid idea. Flying dragons are so much better."

"Guys, please we don't need to start another incident like the one at the convention," Phineas rubbed his head. "Flying car you say? Well, I know what we're going to do today. We're going to build the car of tomorrow!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Perry was getting ready for his daily mission against Doofenshirtz. He glanced around to ensure that the area was clear before jumping in the toilet and pushing the flusher. Instantly, he was puled down through the secret entrance and into his lair. He then jumped into his chair as the screen in front of him buzzed to life.

"Ah, good morning Agent P," Monogram said in greeting, "Doofenshmirtz has been extra careful lately with whatever project he is up to. Our sources indicate that he is planning something big though due to the massive power surges that we are picking up from his headquarters."

Perry raised his eyebrows. Usually, Doofenshmirtz was pretty conservative with his power usage due to budget cuts.

"Get over there and pull the plug on his scheme. Monogram out."

The agent saluted and jumped into the hoverjet to begin his daily routine, unaware of what he was about to face.

* * *

Phineas was putting the finishing touches on the car when he finally noticed the absence of a certain platypus. He then looked around in confusion.

"Hey, where's Perry? Did he leave already?"

"He must've gotten his mission early," Isabella responded with a frown. "Do you want me to go look for him? I'm kinda curious about where he goes to fight that Doofen…whatever guy everyday."

"Sure," Phineas responded cheerily. "I'll get the car ready to go and you go out to scout. We have to find something to distract Buford and Baljeet though."

"On it!" Isabella saluted before bursting off into the sky.

* * *

"Hey Doctor Deeeeee…" Gretchen trailed off as she stared up at the large robot suspended before her. It was positively massive, with large red glowing metal arms and spikes shooting out of its shoulder blades. Under it's body was a large booster that hadn't been activated, but was obviously for lifting. The only thing about the design that screamed Doofenshmirtz was an odd head perched on top of the body.

"Hi, I'm Norm." It announced.

"Oh hi Gretchen!" Doofenshmirtz called with a wave. "How do you like my new robot?"

"It's…certainly a breach from the norm…" she muttered. "What's with the sudden burst of evil inspiration?"

"Let's just say I was inspired," Doofenshmirtz grinned. "Look! It's got all these cool features. Even reversable heads!"

He pressed a button and the head turned into a far more threatening mode with a red glowing visor and three divots on either side. The look was complete with two more blacks fins rolling over the top.

Now, Gretchen was scared.

"What do you say Gretchen? Would you like to be my secretary once I take over the Tri-State Area?"

"I…I don't have time for this. I have to meet with the girls," she stuttered before dashing off.

"Okay, well tell them you had fun today!"

* * *

Phineas and Ferb were putting the finishing touches on the platform and were in the middle of testing when Candace burst into the backyard with Linda and Lawrence trailing behind.

"Okay, it's still here. Oh, come on, Mom! We're really coming down to the wire on this one."

"Thanks, Vivian. See you Tuesday for totem pole carving!" Linda called over her shoulder.

"Mom! Mom! Quick, Mom, look! Before it disappears!" Candace cried.

Linda rolled her eyes, "The same old routine every day. Doesn't it ever get, I don't know, boring?"

"...You know what? You're right. I guess it _has_ gotten a little old. I just get so frustrated. I always come so close to busting Phineas and Ferb, but it ends the same way every single time. I look and say there's a massive 'thing' Phineas and Ferb built right in front of me, but every time you look, you always say..."

Linda turned around and caught view of the massive structure in the back yard. "I…see it!"

"There it is. 'I see it.' Right on cue. Wait, what? Come again?" Candace paused.

"Phineas! Ferb! Get down here right now!" Linda screamed.

"Coming mom!"

There was a loud screech as the flying car came to a stop beside the tower. Quickly, Phineas and his friends all climbed out.

"What do you think you're doing young man?" Linda demanded, "That is the most dangerous thing I've ever seen! And all without permission!"

"But, didn't we ask you if we could trick out the car this morning?" Phineas confused.

"I double checked all the calculations to make sure nothing went wrong." Baljeet nodded. "Phineas approved it from his spot on the city council."

"Phineas has a spot on the city council!" Linda responded in disbelief.

"And Ferb," Buford added unhelpfully.

There was a lull in conversation when a huge groaning sound started to echo through the yard. Soon, everyone watched in disbelief as the tower fell over onto the house, crushing half of it.

Linda turned her cold fury onto Phineas, who stared at Ferb. Ferb responded by lifting a screw.

"Oops," Phineas sputtered nervously, "I guess we forgot bolt number 473."

"PHINEAS FLYNN AND FERBS FLETCHER, YOU ARE SO BUSTED!"

* * *

Isabella was flying through the city and quickly caught sight of Perry's white jet, noting that it was the same one that they had stolen a week ago. She quickly matched pace with the flying vehicle and watched carefully as Perry operated the controls.

"Well, I see the resemblance now," she remarked. "Now I know it was you who dumped us in the pool."

She sighed as Perry confidently navigated through the city towards a specific destination.

"I wonder how long he's being doing this," she muttered. "I didn't even find this out in all the time I've been here!"

* * *

Perry shivered. He felt like he was being watched. It was a similar feeling to what he felt a week ago, but he shrugged it off anyway. He had a job to do, so he floored the hovercraft and prepared for the daily battle. The hovercraft came to a stop beside DEI and Perry hopped out, only to be instantly trapped by a huge metal cage.

"Ah, Perry the Platypus," Doofenshmirtz said gleefully as he emerged from behind a huge trap. "You're just in time to witness my newest triumph."

He grabbed the tarp and gave it a mighty yank.

"BEHOLD! The Normbot!"

Perry stared blankly at the robot's strange head.

"Hi! I'm Norm!"

"What?" Doofenshmirtz glanced at the robot. "Oh. Give me a second."

He jiggled with the remote a bit and suddenly the head swapped out for a far more threatening one.

"Prepare to be destroyed." Perry gulped.

"See, it's an all new advanced machine designed especially for destroying you." Doofenshmirtz responded with a chilling smile. "It finds your biggest weakness and exploits it fully."

Perry instantly began to struggle even more desperately than before. This was far beyond Doofenshmirtz's typical scheme. The robot made his over to the platypus menacingly and began to scan. Perry attempted to throw it off with as much movement as possible, but the robot finished anyway and began its analysis.

"Weakness identified. Acquiring target."

Perry gulped.

"Target acquired. Phineas and Ferb."

* * *

"You know in retrospect Ferb, maybe we weren't exactly concerned enough about the safety of our projects," Phineas mused. "Usually, stuff like this never happens to us."

"Well, everything that can go wrong will go wrong," Ferb responded. "It just came to us today."

"Murphy's Law? Well, I guess it had to come at some point. We're grounded, sent off to some military school for the rest of the summer, and I didn't even get to say goodbye to Isabella."

"Who's Isabella?" Buford asked from across the aisle.

Phineas smiled sadly, "An old friend."

* * *

Isabella froze up as she heard the words uttered from the robot. Phineas and Fer were in danger now. Perry apparently thought so to because a full blown look of panic crossed his face at the reveal. Thankfully, Doofenshmirtz just looked confused.

"Phineas and Ferb. Who's that?"

The robot didn't respond, but simply blasted off into the sky, leaving the evil scientist without an explanation.

"Hey wait, where are you going?"

Isabella ignored him and took off into the skies to find the two most important people in her life.

"I have to warn them before it's too late! And stop talking to myself."

* * *

"Ferb, this doesn't look like any ordinary reformatory school," Phineas said as he glanced out the window at the imposing prison like fortress.

"I must admit that this place is giving me the willies as well. I've never been scared of going to school before," Baljeet responded

"Yeah this place reeks of evil, and I would know," Buford growled.

They fell silent as the bus came to a stop within the walls. The group of four, along with the other children were ushered inside by a tall man with a green suit and messy brown hair approached them.

"Greetings, I am Monty Monogram," he glowered fiercely, "but you will address me as sir."

"Umm, excuse me sir…" Baljeet began.

"NO TALKING!" the man shot back fiercely, causing Baljeet to shrink back.

"I just wanted to ask where the bathroom was…" he whispered.

"I want two lines on each side of the courtyard!" He ordered. "Nice and orderly where you will be marched to your dorms. Tomorrow, we will begin your conditioning."

Phineas, Ferb, Baljeet, and Buford quickly got together. Baljeet and Buford discreetly clasped their hands together. Ferb just looked stoic as ever.

"AND MARCH!"

* * *

"Sir! Sir! We have a situation! Our spy has tracked down the location of Monty Monogram! He has Agent P's owners!" Carl shouted as he burst into Monogram's office.

"Great googly moogly! You found my son?" Monogram shot to his feet. "We have to catch him now! Send all available agents to capture him."

"But sir, what about the Tri-State Area."

"The city will be fine," Monogram waved his hand dismissively, "but catching this madman is a top priority."

"I'll send the order out then." Carl responded as he turned to the device. Slowly, almost unnoticeably, a tear fell from the major's eyes and Carl saw.

"Forgive me for the breach in protocol sir, but are you okay?"

"Oh I'm fine, just give me a moment. Dismissed."

Carl simply nodded and left the room. Only after the doors closed, did Monogram let lose a few tears as he thought of his lost son.

* * *

Perry was sitting in the trap, wondering how he was going to escape. Normally it would be simply, but the worry for his owners was clouding his mind, making it impossible to concentrate. Suddenly, he watched beeped, causing him to snap out of it. He raised his arm and Carl's face came onto the screen.

"Agent P! We have a serious situation. You're owners have been captured by Monty Monogram!"

Perry gaped. He had heard of the rogue agent who had turned on OWCA a few years ago for unknown reasons. Rumor spread that his strained relationship with his father had driven him away, but no agent knew for sure. His boss stayed very tight lipped about the whole incident. The only thing Perry knew was that he was very, very dangerous. Suddenly, his concern for his owners skyrocketed and he gave a distressed chatter.

"Major Monogram wants to dispatch all the agents, but I'm sending you only about half of them as back up. The rest will have to stay here to watch over the Tri-State Area."

Perry gave a grateful smile and cut the communication. He braced himself against one side of cage and slammed on the other end with a renewed strength.

"Perry the Platypus was that you making a racket back there?"

Perry gave one last heave and tipped the box over just as Doofenshmirtz came back, resulting in the large metal box falling on his foot.

"OWWWW! OW! OW! OW!" he screamed.

Perry gave him a punch to the face for good measure before blasting off in his hoverjet.

"Ouch, that smarts," Doofenshmirtz hissed, "but at least he's finally gone."

He hobbled over to another section of the room and pressed a secret button. He smiled as a large hole appeared in the floor, unveiling a dozen new normbots fully armed to the teeth.

"Now, it's time for some real fun!"

* * *

"Adyson! We have a situation!" Gretchen shouted as she burst into the fireside hideout. Everyone in the room froze at her outburst and Adyson narrowed her eyes. Slowly, she finished placing the sash over a girl's shoulder and turned to face her old friend.

"Gretchen, what's the meaning of this?" She demanded. "We were just in the middle of initiating Holly here and you decide to miss the whole ceremony to show up at the end?"

Gretchen ignored the jab and pressed on. "This is serious! Doofenshmirtz is making a power move to take the city and we need to stop him."

"Gretchen…" Adyson responded tiredly, "We're not going to involve ourselves with fighting evil."

"Chief, we're the only ones left that can stop him," Gretchen pleaded. "Phineas and Ferb are gone and Perry just left! We're fireside girls! We can do anything! Isn't that what I taught you? Right now, that means saving the Tri-State Area from Doofenshmirtz!"

Adyson stared long and hard into Gretchen's covered eyes, weighing the truth of her words, and she was a bit frightened to find that the girl looked deathly serious. The rest of the girls looked between the old leader and the new, silently awaiting their decision. Finally, she sighed.

"Grab your uniform and sash and meet us at the penthouse in 10 minutes."

Gretchen smiled.

* * *

"Oh, ow-ow!" Candace cried as she tripped over something on the ground.

"Candace!" Stacy dashed in to help her friend, "What did you do?"

"I tripped over Ferb's toolbox," she muttered as she looked down at it sadly.

"Well, do you want to go horseback riding?" Stacy pressed.

"What's your hurry? Let's relax for a little while. You know, with Phineas and Ferb gone, I've had a blast doing things I wanted to do. But it's strange. I kind of miss the little guys. It's as if there was a whole other side to our relationship that I never noticed before."

She paused sadly as Stacy looked at her with concern.

'Little brothers'  
'I remember when you first came home'  
'Then came another'  
'Little brother of our own'

'Even when you break my toys'  
'You will always be my...'  
'Little brothers'  
'Cause you're younger'  
'We're related and you're boys'

'Even when you're making too much noise'  
'You will always be my...'  
'Little brothers 'cause you're'

'We're related and you're boys'

'Little brothers'  
'Little brothers'  
'Little brothers'

Candace shivered as tears leaked from her eyes, "Uh, Stace, you're kind of bumming me out with the song here."

"You know, you finally have everything you ever wanted," Stacy remarked.

"Okay, that true," she sighed, "Maybe a little TV will take my mind off things."

She turned on the TV, only to get hit by a horrifying commercial.

"Today on 'The Morty Williams Show,' 'My Kid Is Bad, and I Want to Blame Others!' We'll go inside the nation's toughest reformatory school, where free-thinking children undergo complete personality re-programming and have all the creativity and imagination sucked right out of them." The announcer said excitedly. "They are forced to think inside the box."

Candace stared in horror.

"Umm, isn't that where Phineas and Ferb went," Stacy asked.

Candace stood for a almost a full minute, before she snatched up her phone.

"I gotta call mom."

* * *

Phineas groaned as he was tossed into the cell on his rear by the guards, separate from his brother. This unfortunately meant that a lot of his plans for escape were ruined. Phineas watched sadly as the door slammed shut.

"Ouch, that looked like it hurt." Came a high pitched voice from behind him.

Phineas spun around and caught sight of a boy resting on a chair near the base of the bed. He had a striped sweater vest and brown shorts. His hair was up in a curl and he had a slight grin on his face.

"Not to sound rude, but who are you?" Phineas asked.

"Oh, I'm Milo Murphy." He responded while holding out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Phineas Flynn," Phineas responded half heartedly. He took his hand and was about to shake it when he caught sight of something on the boy's wrist. "Hey, what's that?"

"Oh this?" Milo let go and lifted his arm to reveal a glowing blue bracelet, "I'm not really sure. The colonel only gave it to me after last week's incident. You wouldn't believe how much trouble I can cause, but this seems to supress it."

Phineas raised his eyebrows, intrigued. "Really? Tell me about this incident."

"Well, it started with a vending machine…"

As the two boys instantly bonded in friendship, neither of them noticed a strong red glow hidden in the corner that was pulsing with a menacing light.

* * *

Isabella was flying at full speed across the forest when she finally caught sight of a massive fortress and felt a sharp pain in her chest.

"Oh no! Phineas is in there, I can feel it. I have to go find him!"

She took off at full speed towards the compound, but suddenly collided with a huge invisible barrier. She crashed to the ground in a daze and groaned while rubbing her head.

"What the…"

She dazedly got to her feet and pressed against the unseen wall with a frown, then gasped as it rippled, revealing a glowing red dome that covered the whole compound.

"Oh my god!"

* * *

Monty watched as Milo and Phineas shook hands, causing their positive and negative energies to interact and bounce off in different directions. This caused an instant effect as the red particles fanned out, causing the nearby bed to collapse. He gave a chilling smile as he closed the feed and stood from his chair.

"Yes, the ultimate weapon of destruction is finally in my hands," he turned to the guards. "Bring me those boys! And the green haired one too!"

As the guards ran off to carry out his order, he turned to a massive contraption in the middle of the room. Hanging from the center, were 3 cages.

"At last, my plan is almost complete. Soon, all shall fall before the chaos to come!"

* * *

Oh yes, this is no dream guys! There are going to be some serious ramifications for everyone once this is all over. Next chapter won't be for a long time though because I'm busy with midterms and exams. Sorry!

 **Next up-At Last Part 2:** In which the battle of the present begins and the future of two worlds falls into the hands of Phineas and his friends.


	12. Author's Note (Cancellation)

**Author's Note:**

Hello everyone, sorry for not updating this story for almost a year .

The truth is that I've had the next chapter almost done for a while, but I had a severe medical incident last year that really halted my academics and writing. That combined with having to move twice along with a few mental struggles caused me to put this story on hold.

Thankfully I've sorted it all out, but I've decided not to continue this story for a number of reasons even though the next chapter is the climax. Crimson Skies is cancelled as well.

The main problem I've struggled with is juggling too many storylines and having a convoluted plot. The original plan was to just focus on Phineas and Isabella, but somehow I started to cram in stories for Gretchen, Adyson, Doofenshmirtz, and Ferb as well. It got far too crowded far too fast. Chapters such as "Ferb's Faith", "Prelude to a Nightmare", and "Ready for the Betty's" were not very good, overstuffed, and way too confusing for a kids show fanfic.

The other main problem was the dark tone this story was rapidly turning toward. This used to be a lighthearted story, but it went through 2 major rewrites that drastically changed the tone (those two chapters being "Prelude to a Nightmare" and "It's About Time"). I don't believe that the proper tone for a PnF fanfic. 2nd dimension Doof loosing an eye is probably too much.

In order to make it up to everyone who has waited for so long, I'm going to reveal what would have happened in the rest of the story while answering some of the story's biggest mysteries.

Let's get the biggest mystery out of the way first. Isabella's origin is tied to my other story: Crimson Skies. Crimson Skies is a secret prequel to Imaginary Isabella. In that story, Earth is struck by a meteorite that instantly freezes the entire world in time. Only Danville is left unaffected. Isabella, Ginger, Vanessa, Milo, and Melissa are hit dead on by the meteorite, resulting in them being erased from existence. After a few weeks, the rest of Earth is consumed and banished to limbo, which is the world where Imaginary Isabella takes place. Think of it as a colored version of the world in "Last Day of Summer."

Isabella's ghostly existence is due to what the meteorite did to her. Other characters such as Vanessa, Ginger, Milo, and Melissa also suffer from a similar condition where they still have physical bodies, but no one knows them in this new dimension. Vanessa would've formed an opposition with Monty to harness the power of the meteorite and combine it with the power harnessed from the kids at Smiles Away Reformatory School to make the Murphy's Law Suit. Eventually this would've led to a crossover between the two stories that saw survivors from meteorite working with the characters of Imaginary Isabella to fight Vanessa, 2nd Doofenshmirtz, and Monty.

Milo, Melissa, and Ginger are also forced to work for Vanessa as they are under the threat of being erased from existence just like Isabella. Melissa purposely sends the Phineas and Ferb to the future in Chapter 9: It's About Time. The world seen in that chapter is also the same world where Crimson Skies takes place. Milo purposely lets himself get caught in Chapter 11: At Last Part 1 to get the Murphy's Law Suit to work. Ginger would've been revealed as a unwilling traitor in Imaginary Isabella 2. All of them eventually switch sides as they are forced to work for Vanessa.

Eventually, the series would've ended with the gang time travelling to prevent the meteorite from arriving in the first place, bringing everyone out of limbo and erasing the bad future.

Now, obviously there are some details I've left out, but those are the main plot points. The reason I haven't covered everything is because I want to rewrite this story eventually with a less convoluted plot and a similar premise. Thank you for your support, but I'm currently in the process of drafting another non-Phineas and Ferb series, so the rewrite won't come for a long time if at all. Thank you for all of your support, but I'm going to step away from this fandom for a while as my writing style is too dark to fit Phineas and Ferb.

Carpe Diem


	13. Reboot Information

**Author's Note:**

Hi again everyone! Sorry for the bad news last chapter, but I have some better news now.

I wasn't intending to write the reboot for at least a couple of months while I get started on my other story, however I've recently been hit by a huge burst of inspiration for the rewrite. Previously, I didn't have a solid plan for the reboot, but now I do.

The new story will be titled "Imaginary Isabella: Tides of Burmuda" and will combine the idea of the old fanfic with 2 other stories that I conceptualized a while ago. It will be a parody based on a classic piece of literature, similar to "Excaliferb" and "Swiss Family Phineas" and will take place a couple days before the first episode of Phineas and Ferb. I won't give away anything more than that.

As for the release, I'll try to get it out before midterms start for me late October. Midterms are what interfered with the release of chapter 12 last year. However, I'll be putting most of my focus on other story I'm writing, so don't expect updates for the reboot to come quickly.


	14. At Last Part 2: All the Devils are Here

**Author's Note:**

Bet you didn't expect this.

Since exams are finished, I've finally been able to start writing the reboot and the prologue. This chapter is a treat for anyone who's stuck around these past two years as I've only recently been able to recover this after switching computers. This is all I managed to write for chapter 12 before cancellation.

* * *

Isabella was on the verge of a meltdown. She had never experienced what it was like to feel anything, and yet the sensation was almost horrifying to her. Instead of warmth, she felt only cold emptiness from the field that had been revealed to her. She tried to force her way through many times, but only got flung back violently as a reward for her efforts. She let out an unheard scream of frustration and was about to bang on the shield once more when something caught her eye. A flying black mass on the corner of her vision.

She turned toward it rapidly and saw Doofenshmirtz's robot flying at her with alarming speed. Isabella screamed and raised her arms reflexively, but the robot flew straight through her thankfully. Shakily, she lowered her arms and took deep breaths to calm herself.

"Right, focus. I have to find Phineas."

* * *

Doofenshmirtz sighed as he twiddled with the button that would finally bring about his dominance of the Tri-State Area. Was he ready to do this? He had never been this close to his goal. Oddly enough, the face that kept popping up in his mind was Gretchen, not Perry the Platypus. How disappointed would she be in him?

They both knew that Gretchen would never sway to the evil scientist's side, much as he tried to deny it. He had tried so move her, but she would not budge. He had only one person in his life now who would follow him to the end of this journey.

"We're almost done here," his counterpart said with a smile. Doofenshmirtz shuddered and tried to avoid looking at his partner's scarred eyepatch. "Perry the platypus is gone, the normbots are ready, and Phineas and his friends are captured at S.T.A.R.S. school. Nothing can stand in our way now."

Somehow, that didn't seem comforting to Doofenshmirtz.

* * *

Phineas frowned at the concrete wall. "We have to get out of here."

"Good idea, but those goons took my backpack, so I don't have much to work with here," Milo responded.

"Well they can't catch everything," Phineas responded with a smile before removing his camouflaged helmet.

"Woah, I never noticed that," Milo cried.

Phineas smiled, "And neither did they. Now, let's see if I remembered to install that stolen magnet ray…"

He pressed a button and watched in awe as it pulled the bars off the window, opening their escape. Phineas gave a smile and turned to his friend.

"After you?"

* * *

"Are we getting Phineas and Ferb to help us?" Adyson asked. "We all know that Perry is an agent now, so we can get his help as well."

Gretchen winced as she pushed the gate open, "Not exactly. Phineas and Ferb are trapped at a disciplinary school and Perry is not at Doofenshmirtz's for some reason. It has to be us. Thankfully, I have a back up plan."

She strolled into the yard, tapping her feet in odd places as she did. The rest of the fireside girls looked at each other with confusion, unsure of what Gretchen was doing.

"Err, Gretchen what exactly are you…"

They all jumped when there was a small clank and a panel opened in the backyard right under their feet. Adyson watched in shock as yet another hidden staircase unveiled itself.

"Is this Perry's lair?" She asked. "It looks different."

"Not exactly," Gretchen smiled guiltily, "It's mine."

* * *

"So, you're telling me that the boys are trapped inside some sort of super prison and you want to bust them out," Linda summarized incredulously. "That sounds pretty crazy Candace."

"Really, that's the craziest thing you've heard?" Candace gritted her teeth as she clutched the steering wheel.

"Well, if you put it that way…" Linda trailed off as Candace watched her wrestle with her thoughts.

After a minute passed, she gave a response.

"I guess there's no harm in checking it out. And if the boys are really trapped there, nothing is going to stop us from getting them out."

* * *

Phineas and Milo were treading cautiously through the base, unaware of Monty's plans for them. Phineas took stock of the hallway and noted that there was only one guard with his back turned to them, but he was armed with a wicked stick, so Phineas sighed and drew back out of sight.

"Do we have anything to distract him? Like a rock?" Milo asked. "We have to free the other children right?"

"This isn't a campy cartoon Milo," Phineas replied tiredly. "I don't know if he'll fall for it. We need something more direct."

"Like what?"

Phineas frowned as he tried to come up with a plan, but a loud thud caught his attention. He spun around the corner and was surprised to find his brother straddling the guard from around his neck. The goon tried to put up a fight, but a simple pinch to the neck sent him crashing on the ground. Ferb rolled clear before he got crushed under the heavy mass.

"Woah, cool Vulcan Pinch bro!" Phineas called.

"Wow, that's you're brother," Milo said in awe.

Ferb shot them a look, "Please try to cut the voices. We don't want to alert the other guards."

The boys quickly got to work setting the other amazed children free. One kid in particular latched on to Phineas.

"Thanks for setting me free sir!" she cried. "It's been so long."

Phineas smiled softly down at the child, who looked no younger than 7-years-old, "What's your name?"

"Celestina," she mumbled. "I've been stuck here for months. Thanks for freeing me sir."

Phineas bit his lip and tried not look to be enraged as he grasped her shoulder firmly.

"Celestina, you don't have to be scared anymore. My brother and I are going to get you out of here."

Celestina giggled, "You're the first person not to laugh at my name. Awesome!"

Phineas looked around and found that all the other children had been freed as well. He smiled and took Celestina's hand, earning a huge smile from the young girl.

"Ferb do you know how to get us out of here?"

Ferb responded by hoisting a map that he had swiped from the guard.

"Huh. How serendipitous," Phineas remarked. "Well then, let's roll out."

* * *

The fireside girls old and new looked around at the lair in wonder as they descended the stairs. Gretchen gaze a smile at their curiosity, and especially at Adyson who was analysing every piece of technology in the room.

"Gretchen, what is this?" Adyson asked softly.

"This is Perry's old O.W.C.A. base. He used to stockpile memoriams of the Flynn-Fletchers." Gretchen explained."

"And why do you know about this?" Adyson crossed her arms.

Gretchen sighed, "I know because I'm a spy for the O.W.C.A."

At the startled gasps from around the room, Gretchen rushed to explain.

"Look, part of the reason why I left is because a boy named Carl approached me with a job. He offered to me the chance to make a real difference in Danville and I jumped at the opportunity," the girl looked down guility. "Thus, I made the decision and join O.W.C.A, though I see now that it was the wrong decision."

Adyson was stone faced, but Holly asked the question that was on everyone's minds.

"Then why do you work for Doofenshmirtz?"

"At first, it was to spy on his movements, steal any inators of worth with an Autoscan Replication Device, and report back to O.W.C.A." She took a deep breath. "Our relationship has changed overtime and I now understand that there is something seriously wrong with him."

"It's that always the case?" Adyson shot back.

Gretchen suddenly turned fierce, "Look Adyson! He's damaged alright! He has no one there for support and I'm the only one who cares about him!"

"Oh don't give me that! You just went to him because you were lost!" Adyson's words cut deep and Gretchen felt tears running slowly from her eyes. "You've been lost ever since you left us, just like our parents did years ago! You hurt me more than anyone else has before and now that…that lunatic gave you everything I couldn't!?"

Gretchen turned away in shame. She had no response. Thankfully, all the other fireside girls had fled from the room, so no one saw her weakness except her partner.

Eventually, Adyson's face softened, "I guess he gave you a family that our sisterhood could never provide."

"Adyson I…"

"Forget it," Adyson cut her off, "We have a city to save. What tools do you have?"

* * *

Phineas was leading the children through the facility and it was going suspiciously well. No guards came to intercept them and no alarm had sounded.

 _Surely they would've have realized that they had escaped by now._ Phineas thought.

"You know, this is going a lot better than I thought," Milo noted. "Usually, something terrible…"

He got cut off by the scream of the children as a massive metal fist crashed through the wall beside them, revealing a massive robot that towered well above the prison rooftop. From within the bubble cockpit, Monty gave a chilling smile.

Celestina clung to Phineas' arm in terror, but thankfully the boy reacted quickly and pulled her to the side as she shivered.

"Where are you going kiddies?" Monty crossed his arms. "Man, you're really about to throw months of my work under the drain. How rude."

Phineas frowned and chose not to dignify that with a response.

"Now, this will all be over quickly. Just hand me the Phineas Flynn, Milo Murphy, and Ferbs Fletcher and no one else has to get hurt."

"You're not getting them loser!" Celestina screamed.

Now Ferb frowned at the use of his real name, but quietly began to herd kids to the back out of range. Celestina however, chose to remain at Phineas' side.

When Phineas failed to move, Monty shrugged, "Well okay then, I guess I'll have to do something I'll regret later."

Phineas tucked Celestina under his arm and scooped her away from the descending fist. He managed to roll out of the way, but Milo wasn't so lucky as he got scooped up in the metal grip.

Phineas and Celestina watched horrified as the boy was carried away, but Milo was quick to remind them of the situation.

"Save the kids!" he shouted.

Phineas set his jaw and ran after his brother and the rest of the group, but not before casting back one sad glance.

Milo watched as Phineas disappeared from sight before turning to Monty.

"Looks like your plan failed," he remarked snidely, "They're going to get away."

Monty looked down the corridor thoughtfully for a moment, before turning to Milo with a chilling grin.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that my boy," he set a hand on his shoulder, "Afterall, you were the only one I needed."

* * *

"Alright here's the plan," Gretchen addressed the fireside girls shakily, "Doofenshmirtz's Normbots are too strong for us to face on with O.W.C.A.'s weak plasma rays, so you need to distract him long enough for me to get through to him."

"And what exactly are you going to do with Doofenshmirtz?" Adyson pressed.

"I'm going to try to talk him down," Gretchen announced nervously. "He'll listen to me."

"HOLD IT!" Adyson cut in before any other fireside girl could voice their complaints, "Don't tell me we're going to be fighting the Normbots just so you can sit down and have a tea party with Heinz Doofenshmirtz!?"

"Look, Doofenshmirtz has been acting sort of crazy lately," Gretchen allowed. "These robots are beyond what he could accomplish. Someone is influencing him. If I can break him free of whoever the puppet master is, then we can put a stop to this."

Adyson regarded her quietly for what seemed like ages and Gretchen felt a sweat building on her brow. Here she was, asking a girl she barely knew as a friend now, to risk her life and the life of her comrades on a barely completed plan. It was a lot to ask and Gretchen was aware that this my very well be the last time she ever had the privilege of asking such a favor of her former friend.

"I'll trust you this time," Gretchen and the other girls looked up in surprise, "You've never led us astray before, but after this, I need to know EVERYTHING you've neglected to tell me if it threatens the troop."

Gretchen nodded with a sigh of relief, "Very well, suit up. Knowing Doofenshmirtz, he'll go straight for City Hall. Engage the bots at the entrance and I'll take care of the rest."

* * *

Phineas was panting by the time they had escaped the compound through a hole created by Monty's rampaging robot. An fire had started at the other end of the compound, giving them the distraction they needed. Now, they were in the forest under cover and away from search lights.

"Ferb, what should we do about Milo, Buford, and Baljeet?" Phineas asked, "We can't leave them there."

"We have to come back for friends later with greater muscle," Ferb responded.

Phineas nodded and continued the trek in silence.

* * *

Isabella had been circulating the compound for nearly an hour, but she could find no opening. However, the alarms gave her a burst of excitement. Maybe Phineas was escaping? Her heart dropped though when she realized that the guards would be after them soon and quickly flew into the forest to search for them.

After 5 minutes of flying, she began to lose though and opted to float on a rock to mope. She was losing hope when voices reached her ears and she perked up.

"Are you sure this is the way Candace?"

"Yes I'm sure!"

"How do you know?"

"I just know okay," Candace snapped back, "I have a sense for this sort of thing. Especially when my brothers are in danger."

"Your busting sense?" Linda asked sceptically.

"I don't know," Candace threw her hands up in annoyance, "Just trust me."

Candace! Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher! They could help, Isabella jumped up excitedly, but how could she lead them to Phineas and Ferb? Candace and Linda emerged from the bushes, still arguing quietly about directions as Isabella tried to come up with a plan. She balled her fists in frustration as they began heading the wrong direction.

'There's got to be something!'

In frustration, she pounded the invisible barrier next to her and froze when the loud sound bounced across the forest. Linda and Candace paused as well and turned around in surprise to see the ripples appear from thin air.

"Honey, are you seeing this?" Linda asked nervously.

Candace watched in amazement as Isabella sent another ripple through the air.

"There! I think they're this way."

"But honey, there's a barrier there. You can't…"

But Candace ignored her and, to Isabella's relief, she passed straight through followed by her hesitant mother. Knowing that there was nothing more she could do, the girl sat nervously and waited for the boys to return.

* * *

Phineas, Ferb, and the rest of the escaped children were quickly filing through the forest at a rapid pace to try and put as much distance between them and the prison as possible. Thankfully, they had managed to avoid much of the guards and watchdogs stationed in the area, but they weren't out of the woods just yet.

Beside him, Celestina was clutching Phineas' side tightly and he gave a small smile. She seemed nice and maybe the gang could invite her over in the future, assuming they made it out.

"We're almost at the barrier," one kid spoke up, "I think."

Phineas nodded in thanks. "Alright, onward to freedom!"

The kids cheered and were about to make a run for it when a rumbling sound suddenly bounced through the forest. In an instant, all the kids stopped and looked on in fear as a giant robot crashed through the trees.

Monty laughed at all the terrified kids from his perch. Worse still, Phineas could just make out Milo's figure within the central cage.

"Sorry kids, but recess is over. Time to come home!" he shouted

Phineas immediately began pushing the kids to safety, "Scatter! Run for the tree line! We'll distract them," he regretfully began to extract Celestina from his waist, but she held firm.

"No, I want to stay with you!"

Phineas took in a deep breath, "Okay, but hold on tight."

He shifted her to his back and began to run after the rest of the kids just as Monty's mech began to light up. Milo's cage lit up with a pinkish colour as the side cages began to glow blue as well. Soon, a purple beam erupted from the chest and engulfed Phineas and Celestina.

Phineas flinched, preparing for something to happen, but nothing did and he looked up in confusion.

"What was that supposed to…"

"Phineas look out!" Celestina suddenly cried.

Phineas barely had enough time to move before a dozen tree feel around him. He didn't have time to process that though and chose to keep running, but in the back of his mind, he felt a sliver of fear when he realized what had happened.

Monty had managed to harness Murphy's Law.

* * *

Celestina was planned to have a significant part in this story and she'll hopefully have a major role in the reboot as well. Look out for her in later chapters :)


End file.
